Chasing Pavement
by Marcella23
Summary: Rosalie Braddock moves to Toronto to be closer to her brother. While there, she mixes things up and brings new life to the SRU.
1. Chasing Cars

Welcome one and all! I wrote this the other night while avoiding studying for a final. It's my first Flashpoint story, so, please, don't judge me too harshly. When I wrote this, I was listening to "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, hence the title. I think that's what I am going to do for all the chapters.

Anyway, I really am not sure where I want this story to go. I like both Ed and Greg and really cannot decide which direction to take this. Please, let me know what you think. Any ideas will be most welcome. Now, that being said, I hope you enjoy!

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_Dear Sammy,_

_How is Toronto treating you? I know it's not Afghanistan, but it's a lot safer (and closer to home!). I hope you like working with the police and I hope you are finding everything you want in that city. Mom misses you and sends her love, and dad…well, dad says hi._

_I have a huge favor to ask you. Remember how I was working with the Senators in Ottawa? Well, my supervisor got me a job with a new team. The Maple Leafs! I'm moving o Toronto next week. I know it's kind of short notice, but do you have a couch in your apartment your baby sister can sleep on for a while? I am still looking for my own place, but until I find it, would you mind if I stayed with you?_

_Call me, Sammy. I miss you._

_Love your sister,_

_Rosie_

Rosalie crawled down the Queen Elizabeth Highway. She had forgotten how bad the traffic could be, even on a Tuesday evening. Even though she had only spent a year in Toronto before transferring to another college, she had always loved the city. It was her favorite among the places she had lived while growing up. She and her brother, Sam, had been moved around all over the place as kids. They went from army base to army base until they were old enough to strike out on their own. They were Army Brats in every sense on the word.

As she rolled through Mississauga at 12 miles per hour, she thought of her brother. It had been nearly three years since she saw Sam. He was older than her by six years, but they had always been close. Growing up, Sam had always watched out for his baby sister. He protected her from the evils of the army base, which usually meant the lonely soldiers that were constantly shuffling through. She would always be a little girl to him.

The hardest day in her life was the day Sam was deployed to Afghanistan with the JTF2 unit. He was only 23, still a kid. When Sam came over to say his goodbyes, dad would only shake Sam's hand. Neither said a word, they only stared at each other. Rosie and her mother cried and hugged him and kissed his cheeks. Her father stood by completely emotionless. Sam left that day and it was two years before Rosie heard from him again.

Rosie exited the highway and wandered through the busy downtown streets of Toronto. She saw all the landmarks she had missed while she was in Ottawa. The CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Maple Leaf Gardens, St. Lawrence Market, and her new office, the Air Canada Centre.

As she rolled up to a stop light, her phone began ringing "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. Everyone in her phonebook had a customized ringtone. Her mother's was "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, her dad's was "Reveille", and her brother's was Bon Jovi. She dug through her purse until she found the red flip phone.

"Hi Sammy," she said as the light turned green. "Hey kiddo, are you in town yet?" He asked. She was 25 years old and still he called her 'kiddo'. When would he learn? "Yeah, I'm just wandering around. Do you want me to go right to your house?" Sam cleared his throat and replied, "Nah, why don't you come by and pick me up at the station. I got a ride to work today from a friend, so I don't have my car." Rosie raised her eyebrows and said, "This friend wouldn't happen to be a cute brunette, would it?" Sam hesitated and asked, "What makes you say that?" Rosie laughed and replied, "That's your type, Sammy boy." Sammy chuckled and said, "Whatever. Just come by the station. I won't be ready for like half an hour, but you can hang around if you want." Rosie hung up her phone and turned her car around.

Rosie parked her car in the lot outside the building and made her way to the front door. A woman in a police uniform sat behind a reception desk just inside the entrance. To the right was a small conference room. To the left was a hall doors, all labeled. "Can I help you?" Rosie rested her hands on the desk top, smiled sweetly, and said, "I'm looking for the SRU. Please tell me I am in the right place." The woman smiled back and nodded. "Yup, they're here. Which team are you looking for?" Rosie bit her lip and replied. "Um, I'm not really sure. I'm looking for my brother, Sam Braddock." The woman nodded slowly and said, "Ah, Sam. He's on Team 1. They're up in the training room. Hold on a sec and I'll get an officer to bring you up." Rosie smiled and thanked the woman as she handed her a visitor's badge and waived over an officer to take her upstairs.

In the elevator, the young officer looked over Rosie and asked, "So you're Sam's sister?" Rosie nodded and said, "Yeah, he's my older brother." The officer nodded and replied, "You guys look nothing alike." Rosie smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She had heard that all her life. It was true; she and Sam were total opposites.

Sam was tall and athletic with a strong build. He had their mother's blond hair and their father's blue eyes. He was a prankster. He was loud and fun and had millions of friends, most of them girls.

Rosie was tall for a woman at 5'7". But she was softer that Sam. She was a curvy girl from head to toe. She had thick auburn hair that reached her shoulder blades and green eyes, like her grandmother. Unlike her brother, she had always been a bit of a loner. She had one or two close friends and that was all she needed.

The elevator dinged at the fourth floor and the officer led Rosie down a long hallway towards the training room. "Hold on here," he said when they reached the door. She stood in the hallway and waited for the officer to bring her brother out.

"Braddock! Visitor!" The officer shouted once he was inside. Sam dropped his boxing gloves and jogged to the door. "Your sister," the officer said. Sam nodded and said, "She can come in, it's fine." The officer asked, "What about the Sergeant? He won't care?" Sam glanced over his shoulder to where his boss was working with the team leader. "Nah, no worries." The officer shrugged and returned to the hallway. A second later, Rosie came through the door.

"Sammy!" She squeaked as she trotted towards him. He wrapped her in a tight bear hug and kissed her cheek. "Hey kiddo. God I missed you," he said as he held her tighter. She kissed his cheek and pulled away. "You look good, Sammy," she said with a smile. Sam smiled and said, "Me? Look at you! You look great! You know, when I was overseas, I had to take your picture away from a few of the guys in my unit." Rosie laughed. "Do you want me to wait in the hall while you finish?" Sam shook his head and said, "Nah, I want you to meet my team."

Sam led Rosie over to the heavy bags where he and three of his teammate were working. "Hey guys," Sam said as they got closer, "I want you to meet my sister, Rosalie." Rosie smiled as Sam said, "This is Wordy." Rosalie shook his hand and he said, "Kevin really. But I answer to pretty much anything." Sam pointed to the guy beside Wordy and said, "Spike here is our tech guy." Rosie smiled and shook his hand too, trying to commit their names to memory. "And this is Jules."

Rosie shook Jules' hand and said, "Nice to meet you." She could tell there was something special about this woman. There was something different in Sam's voice when he said her name and something special in his eyes when he looked at her. Judging by the smile on her face, Jules liked Sam too. Rosie smiled to herself as she thought of her brother finally finding someone he could commit to for more than one night.

Sam led her across the room to his other two team members. One was running on a treadmill and the other was using the stationary bicycle. Rosie set her coat down on the chair opposite the two and waited for Sam to introduce her. "Ed, Sarge, I want you to meet my sister. Rosalie Braddock, this is Ed Lane," he said with a gesture to the taller of the two, "and Sergeant Greg Parker," pointing to the other. Rosalie smile at them both. "Nice to meet you," she said sweetly as she shook Ed's hand. "Pleasure's mine," Ed huffed as he smiled back, still running. She turned to the Sergeant, who said, "Pleasure to meet you, Rosalie," as he shook her hand.

"Why don't you sit here while I finish with those guys," Sam said as he pointed back to the heavy bags. Rosie nodded, "Okay, sure. As long as it's okay with you guys," she asked as she looked at Ed and Sergeant Parker. "Of course, please do," Ed said with a nod and a smile, "It'll be nicer to look at you than this guy." He jerked his thumb toward Sergeant Parker and they both laughed. Rosie sat down and let her eyes wander across the new faces around her.

This could be interesting, she thought to herself as she studied the two in front of her. They were both attractive, but in different ways. Ed was a strong, masculine type. He had an aggressive edge that made him feel dangerous yet protective at the same time. Sergeant Parker, on the other hand, was a softer type. He was more of an observer, more passive and emotional. Rosie could sense there was nothing but compassion in him.

She could feel their eyes studying her, trying to size her up. Unsure of what to do, she kept a smile on her face and avoided eye contact. Rosie sat before them silently and waited for them to speak before she did. "So, Rosie," Ed said as he slowed to a jog, "How long are you in town?"

"I'm moving here. I just got a new job and I'm staying with Sam until I find my own place." Ed smiled and said, "Well, if you need anything at all, please, just give me a call. I'd be happy to help you out." Rosie smiled as she saw his charm start to show.

"Where are you working now?" Sergeant Parker asked as he stepped off the bike and wiped his face with his towel. "I'm working in the Maple Leafs' front office, Media relations." Sergeant Parker smiled and said, "That has got to be awesome. So you get to meet all the guys and see all the games?" Rosie laughed and asked, "You're a fan, Sergeant?" Sergeant Parker nodded and replied, "Please, call me Greg. I'm not your boss. I've been a huge fan since I was a kid."

Ed stepped off the treadmill and sprayed water over his face. "Are you coming out with us tonight, Rosie?" Rosalie shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know. I don't want to intrude or anything." Ed waived her off and said, "Not at all. We want you to come, don't we Greg?" Rosie looked at Greg, who nodded and said, "Oh, yeah. Come out and have a drink with us." Rosie still wasn't sure. "Only if it's okay with Sam." Ed held up his hand and said, "Say no more," before shouting across the room. "Hey, Sam! We're taking your sister with us tonight!" Sam only nodded and said, "Yeah, sure, whatever." Ed winked at Rosie and said, "See? Simple as that." Rosie smiled and watched them all make their way to the showers.

"Rosie's pretty hot, Sam," Spike said as he toweled himself off. Sam spun from his locker and said, "Don't even think about it, Spike." Spike held up his hands and said, "Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it!" Sam shook his head and said, "Well, keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear you talking about her like that."

Ed sat on the bench and pulled his socks on, "Come on, Sam. She's a big girl. I'm sure she can handle herself." Spike wiggled his eyebrows and said, "Oh, I'm sure she can, wink wink!" Sam threw his socks at Spike and said, "I swear to God, Spike." Greg closed his locker and said, "Come on, guys. I know this is a locker room, but can we keep it clean?"

Spike huffed and admitted defeat. Greg nodded and sat beside Ed. "Are you coming with us tonight or are you going to pass again?" Ed asked as he stepped into his sneakers. Greg tied his shoe and said, "You know, I think I will go." Ed stood up and said, "Whoa! The Sarge is coming out tonight!" Spike laughed and said, "Lock up your daughters!" Greg waived them both off and walked out of the room. He saw Rosie sitting in one of the chairs by the front door and went to join her.

He sat in the chair across from her and smiled. She returned the smile and pushed some hair behind her ear. "Sam's coming soon," Greg said, trying to make conversation. Rosie nodded and said, "Oh, okay. I'm in no hurry." They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rosie spoke. "Where do you guys usually go?" Greg smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. I hardly ever go with them. I'm too old to keep up with those guys," he said with a chuckle. Rosie giggled and replied, "Oh, please. You don't look old at all." Greg laughed nervously and said, "Thank you, but my body and my team say differently." Rosie laughed again and couldn't help but touch his knee as she did. Greg felt tingles under the spot where her hand had been. He struggled to find something else to say as Ed and Sam came out from the locker room.

"Ready to go?" Sam asked as he dropped his bag beside him. Rosie nodded and stood. Greg followed suit, still trying to comprehend what had just happened between him and Rosie. _Was she flirting?_

Sam held his hand out to Rosie. "Let me have your keys?" It was more of an order than a request. Rosie crossed her arms and asked, "Why?" Sam rolled his eyes and said, "Because I told Jules and Spike I'd give them a ride." Rosie took the keys out and said, "My stuff is still in the car. Where will I sit?" Ed put a hand on her arm and said, "Why don't you ride with Greg and me?" Sam snatched the keys up and said, "Perfect. See you there!" He scooped up his bag and took off to the parking lot with Jules and Spike behind him.

The whole team sat around a table listening to Sam tell a story about the year Rosie turned 18.

"We were living on this base in Saskatchewan. I was what, 23?" Rosie nodded and said, "I had just turned 18 the month before." Sam continued, "And this one Friday night she said she was going out with some other girls from the base. So, I'm out with some of my buddies and we've been drinking and we decide to try to get into the Officer's Club. So we get there and we get in and there, in the middle of this group of army officers is Rosie, dressed to the nines like one of those old Hollywood actresses, sipping a pint of beer." Rosie blushed as the whole team laughed. Ed sipped his beer and said, "Looks like Rosie has a taste for the older men." Sam nodded and said, "I guess so because apparently she had been spending Friday night's there for almost a year before I found her." Rosie only laughed and said, "I still would be if dad wasn't transferred. I never paid for anything while we were there!" Ed picked up Rosie's empty glass and said, "You won't here, either. Trust me," before heading to the bar for another round for the two of them.

Spike started telling a story about something stupid he had done when he was younger. Greg only half listened to what he said, laughing when he heard the others start. He couldn't help but watch Rosalie. She was young and beautiful, that much was true, but there was more to her. She was intelligent and witty and much more mature than others her age. He couldn't help but allow his eyes to wander over her face from her green eyes to her full pink lips and bright smile. _Who am I kidding_, he thought to himself, _she's out of my league_. Behind him, Greg heard the music change to a softer tune. _What the hell_, he thought.

"Rosie," he said, drawing her attention from Spike. She smiled at him and tilted her head to the side. "Do you want to dance?" Greg asked, gesturing over his shoulder to the dance floor. Rosie blushed and said, "I'd love to," before standing up. He stood as well and led her away from the table and Sam's questioning glance.

Greg nervously wiped his hands on his pants and before placing one on her hip. Rosie took his other hand and began swaying with him slowly to the beat. She could feel he was tense, but whether it was because of her or her brother staring at them, she wasn't sure. Rosie whispered, "Relax, Greg," into his ear as they turned on the dance floor. Greg smiled and said, "I'm sorry. It's been a while since I've done this." She smiled and replied, "You're doing fine," as she moved her body closer to his, "Just go with it." He smiled as she moved closer and slid his hand from her hip to the small of her back as they continued dancing.

"Can I ask what made you ask me to dance?" Rosie questioned as they turned again. Greg shrugged, trying to stay cool, and said, "You looked like you were bored." Rosie felt her shoulders fall slightly at his response. "Really? That's all?" She asked teasingly, trying to draw a real answer from him. Greg huffed a little and said, "Alright, you caught me. I just wanted to see that look on Sam's face." He nodded his head toward the table. Sam was sitting straight up in his chair, his hand wrapped around an empty bottle and his eyes following Greg's every move.

Rosie buried her face in Greg's shoulder to try and fight back the giggles. She hadn't seen that look on Sam's face in years. Rosie picked her head up and tried to catch her breath. "You're going to get me in trouble," she said. Greg smiled and bent his head down to her ear. "If that get's you in trouble, what will this get you?" He murmured softly. She blushed at the feeling of his breath on her neck. "I knew you were a bad influence," she teased back.

Ed came back carrying two glasses. He sat in the chair between where Greg and Rosie had been and placed one of the glasses in front of Rosie's seat. He took a long drink and leaned back in his chair. Spike was still talking, to Wordy now, and Ed did his best to tune him out. He listened to the music and watched the people on the little dance floor. He looked around the table and saw Jules was missing, as were Greg and Rosie. "Hey, Sam," he said, "Where's Jules?" Sam waved his hand distractedly and said, "She went to the ladies room." Ed nodded and then said, "Rosie with her?" Sam shook his head again and pointed out to the dance floor. Ed followed Sam's gaze and saw Rosie wrapped in Greg's arms.

Ed watched her face light up as Greg spoke to her with a smile on his own face. He had never seen Greg so comfortable around a woman. He felt a lump of jealousy rise in his throat as Greg brought his head down to Rosie's ear and whispered to her. She started laughing and buried her face into his shoulder. Ed took a long gulp from his beer and said, "Excuse me," to Sam before making way toward the dance floor.

Greg felt a tap on his shoulder. His head whipped around, an annoyed look playing on his face, but when he saw it was Ed, he relaxed and smiled. Ed gestured to Rosie and asked, "Mind if I cut in?" Greg hesitated, still holding Rosie tight to him. She slid her hand over his shoulder and to his chest. He looked down at her and she only nodded to him. Greg dropped her hand and said, "Of course." Rosie smiled as Greg started walking back to the table, stealing a glance over his shoulder now and then along the way.

Ed took her hand and placed his other hand on her hip. Rosie slid her hand up his arm to his shoulder and began to sway with him like she had with Greg. She hugged her body to his and inhaled his cologne. Ed felt her move and held her closer. "Are you having fun?" He asked her. Rosie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm having a great time," she said. He leaned in closer this time and whispered, "Every guy in the room is jealous of me right now, you know that?" Rosie blushed and replied, "You are a charmer, aren't you?" Ed couldn't help but smile as Rosie nibbled on her lower lip.

He pulled her closer and they danced in silence. With every breath he inhaled the faint scent of her perfume. Rosie unconsciously allowed her head to rest against Ed's chest. She savored the feel of his arms around her and his hand on her back. _This is not cool_, _I'm going to have to deal with Sammy after this, _she thought, peeking over to the table where the rest of the team sat. She felt Ed's hand slide up and down the small of her back. _But what the hell… _Rosie sighed lightly and closed her eyes.

The song finally came to an end, but neither of them pulled away. Rosie looked up at Ed and said, "Thank you for the dance, Ed." He smiled back and dropped her hand. "It was my pleasure, really." Rosie smiled nervously. From the corner of her eye she could see Sam coming towards them. "Come on, Rosalie. Time to go," he said as he draped her jacket over her shoulders. He took hold of her hand and pulled her away from Ed and toward the exit.

The radio was off. The windows were up. Sam stared straight ahead as he pulled away from the curb. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Rosie spoke. "What's wrong, Sam?" Sam didn't say anything. "I know something's bugging you. You called me Rosalie. You only do that when you're pissed at me." More silence. "Fine, don't tell me." Rosie turned away from him and looked out the window at the passing streets.

"I know what you're trying to do," Sam said as he stopped for a red light. "What? I'm just making conversation, that's all," Rosie answered innocently. "No, you're not," Sam replied, his frustration growing. Rosie shrugged her shoulders and turned her head to the window. "You and Jules looked cozy."

"Okay," Sam clenched his teeth and pulled the car over to the curb, "You want to talk about cozy? You and Parker looked real fucking cozy!"

"I knew that's what this was about! Come on, let's hear it!" Rosie shouted. Sam turned to face her and said, "Rosie, I don't think it's a good idea to…"

"To what? He asked me to dance, that's all! You make it sound like you caught us having sex!"

"Okay, fine, you were dancing with Parker. But what was that with Ed?"

Rosie groaned and said, "God, you are so fucking paranoid! I'm not a kid anymore, Sam. I'm 25! You can't protect me from everything!"

Sam huffed and pressed his fingers into his eyes. "All I'm saying is if a guy asks a girl to dance, he wants more than just a dance from her."

"No, Sam. When _you_ ask a girl to dance you want more from her. Some guys ask just to be nice! And that's all Ed and Greg were doing! You know, maybe you should try it some time. Maybe Jules would actually pay attention to you then!"

"Don't you bring her into this!" Sam shouted back. He stopped and took a deep breath as he realized something was off. She was never this confrontational. "You're off your meds again, aren't you?" He asked calmly.

Rosie unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her jacket from the floor. She pulled on the door handle, but it wouldn't open. "Unlock the door, Sam." She said dangerously. Sam hit the little button beside him and asked, "Where are you going?" Rosie pushed the door open and stepped out onto the street. "I can't talk to you right now. I'll see you at home." She slammed the car door shut and started back towards the pub.

Rosie walked back through the door and was relieved to see Ed and Greg still sitting at the same little table. She couldn't see the others and assumed they had called it a night.

"Hi guys," she said as she plopped down in a chair opposite the two of them. Greg looked up, surprised to see her back. "Where's Sam?" He asked as he looked back toward the door, expecting to see Sam behind her. Rosie glanced into Greg's glass and shook her head and then turned to Ed. "What are you drinking, Ed?" She asked in a shaky voice. Ed looked at Greg, who nodded slightly, and then said, "Labatt Blue." Rosie reached into her pocket and asked, "Will you go get one for me?" She reached across the table to hand him a $5 bill, but he pushed her hand away. "It's on me, sweetie," he said as he stood. She smiled at him in thanks and shoved her money back into her pocket.

"Want to talk about it?" Greg asked as he leaned in closer to her. Rosie shook her head and replied, "Sam and I got into argument." Greg nodded. He felt like he was on the job, talking to a fragile victim. "You guys did leave pretty suddenly." Rosie was silent. For the first time, Greg took a good look at her face. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were red. An overwhelming sense of worry came over him. "Rosie, you're crying. What happened?" Rosie couldn't fight back her tears any longer.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, fighting off more tears and sobs. Greg reached a hand out and rubbed her back as she wiped her eyes. Ed came back and set Rosie's drink in front of her. She thanked him and began slugging it down. "Slow down, sweetie," Ed said softly as he pulled the drink away from her. "Really, I'm fine, guys," Rosie said before taking a deep breath. "I don't believe you," Greg said as he pushed her drink further away.

Rosie shook her head and said, "Nothing to talk about," before reaching out for her drink. Greg and Ed watched her suck down the rest of her beer before Greg asked, "Why did he pull you out of here?" Rosie swallowed hard and said, "He was tired and wanted to go home, and that's all." Greg wasn't convinced.

"There's got to be more to it than that," he said, trying to get more out of her. Rosie shook her head and replied, "No worries, guys. Really, I'm okay." Ed rested his elbows on the table and asked, "You're ready to go home, then?" Rosie hesitated and said, "I don't really know where Sam's house is… didn't think that one through, did I?" She grinned sheepishly as her cheeks turned pink.

Ed and Greg looked at each other. Neither of them knew where his apartment was either. Rosie stood and said, "I'll be right back, guys," before heading off to the ladies room. Ed rubbed the top of his head and said, "What do we do with her?" Greg pulled out his cell phone and said, "I'll call Sam, see if he can come down and get her." Ed nodded and said, "What if I just took her home with me, give them both some time to cool off?" Greg raised his eyebrows at Ed and replied, "Yeah, or she could come home with me." Before Ed could say anything, Sam walked through the door, scanning the room for his baby sister. Greg saw him from the corner of his eye and waved him over.

"Hey guys, did she come back here?" Sam asked breathless. Greg nodded and said, "Yeah, she's in the ladies room. You want to tell us what happened?" Sam shook his head and said, "We got into an argument. It was stupid, really."

Rosie pushed her way back through the crowd and greeted Sam with a hug. Sam shook his head and replied, "I'm sorry I said that. I was out of line." Rosie shook her head and softly replied, "Forget about it." He grabbed her jacket and asked, "Ready to go home?" Rosie nodded. She started for the door but stopped and told Sam to hold on for a second.

She walked back to the table where Ed and Greg still sat. She threw her arms around Greg and gave him a squeeze. Greg was paralyzed at the sudden contact. Rosie pulled away and moved over to Ed. He rubbed her back as she squeezed him too. "Thanks for the dance, guys," she said with a quick wink before sauntering back to Sam.

Ed and Greg watched her walk away, unable to draw their eyes away from her. They sat in silence for a moment, both wondering what had just happened.


	2. Over My Head

Thank you to all of you that reviewed my first chapter. I know you read this all the time, but I really do appreciate the feedback! Anyway, sorry this chapter took so long, but between work and finals I've been a wee bit busy. I hope you all enjoy it!

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Sam walked into the briefing room with his head held high. He took the last empty seat beside Jules and waited for Greg to start. Jules leaned against the table and said, "It was nice meeting your sister last night." Sam smiled and said, "Yeah, she said she had a great time with you all last night." He looked at Greg and then Ed, making eye contact with each. Neither reacted or gave anything away. "Anyway," Sam said, leaning back in his chair, "if any of you are looking for something to do this afternoon, you can come help us move her into her new apartment." The alarm went off overhead. "Team 1, hot call. Suspicious package at City Hall."

It was 5 am when their shift ended. Spike and Wordy were long gone. Sam was in the locker room and Jules had just left for the day. Greg sat in the briefing room, his feet propped up on the table. He thought about Rosie and the night before. He felt butterflies in his stomach when he remembered how they danced. He hadn't felt like this since he met his ex-wife for the first time. He smiled as he remembered how she hid her face in his shoulder when she laughed. And the way she winked at him…them. "Did you hear me, Greg?"

Greg startled back to attention. Ed was standing in the doorway, his bag resting over his shoulder. "Sorry, what was that?" Ed strode into the room and sat next to Greg. "I asked if you had a second," Ed repeated, putting his feet on the table too. Greg said, "Yeah, of course." Ed nodded and said, "You thinking about last night?" Greg was surprised. How had he known that?

Before Greg could say anymore, Ed began speaking. "I…Sophie and I have been having some problems lately." Greg inhaled and brought his feet to the floor. "I'm sorry, man. Do you want to talk?" Ed shook his head, but continued to speak. "I just don't know how to fix it. Every time I try to talk to her or spend time with them, we argue about something stupid. Last night I forgot to take the garbage out and she acted like I had just kicked her puppy."

Greg rested his elbows on his knees. "I'm sorry, Ed. I know it's tough now, but…" Ed shook his head again and replied, "I never expected this. I thought we were fine. This little rough patch just came out of left field." Greg remained silent as Ed asked, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you know when to call it quits?" Greg shrugged his shoulders and said, "I didn't. I came home from my shift one night and they were gone. She had signed the divorce papers and left them on the kitchen table for me." They were silent for a few minutes before Ed stood and said, "I better get home."

"It's perfect, Sam!" Rosie said as she stood in the middle of the living room. She walked to the windows and looked out over the busy city below. "Do you have furniture?" Sam asked as he followed her to the kitchen. Rosie nodded and said, "Yeah, all my stuff is in a storage facility in Mississauga. I'll start moving it in later." Sam leaned against the breakfast bar and said, "I'll call a couple of the guys if they can help out later today."

Rosie dropped her cell phone on the breakfast bar and meandered to the living room. Sam stayed at the counter, watching her wander from wall to wall, mentally placing furniture throughout the room. "Rosie," Sam said, "Can we talk about last night?"

She scratched the back of her head and said, "I thought I said forget about it." Sam nodded. "You did, but I think we need to talk about this." He waited for a response, but Rosie said nothing. She stood in the middle of the empty room with her arms crossed over her chest.

"How long have you been off your meds?" Sam asked. Rosie looked away as Sam's eyes bore into her."Rosie, we've been here before. You can't control this on your own. I know you think you're strong, but this…this disease, disorder, whatever you want to call it, won't just go away."

Rosie sat on the floor and rested her head in her hands. "2 weeks," she said. Sam moved to her side and sat down. "You haven't crashed yet?" He probed. Rosie picked her head up and said, "You know, maybe I won't crash this time. Maybe I can hold it together."

"You know that's not true. It hasn't worked in the past. What makes you think this time will be different?"

Rosie sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I hate those stupid pills, Sam," she mumbled, "I feel empty when I take them. I feel like a part of me is missing, like I'm a stranger in my own body."

Sam leaned on his elbows and said, "Rosie, you feel like something is missing because something _is _missing. You haven't had a date since Joey left. You're 25 years old. You've focused your whole life on getting to where you are. And look at you, you're doing great. You've got an amazing job, a great new apartment. Maybe you need to focus on yourself," Sam paused and chuckled. "I can't believe I am saying this to my baby sister, but take a page from my book and get yourself laid."

Rosie broke out into hysterics. Sam reached over and mussed her hair. Rosie rolled forward and punched Sam in the arm, laughing the entire time. A knock on the door forced Rosie to catch her breath as she walked across the empty living room to see who it was.

Ed was standing in the hallway holding a bottle of wine. "Hi Rosie," he said as he handed the bottle over to her. She smiled and said, "Thank you. Come on in." She stepped aside and invited him in to the empty space. "Sam said you were moving into your new place today, so I figured I'd stop by and see if you needed some help," he said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

Sam stood from the floor and walked back to the breakfast bar where Ed and Rosie were standing. He took the bottle of wine from Rosie and put it in a cabinet above her head. "Hey Ed," Sam greeted. Ed shook Sam's hand and said, "Sorry to just pop in like this." Rosie shook her head and replied, "No, not at all. Stop in any time." Ed smiled and looked Rosie over.

"So, Ed," Sam interrupted, "What can we do for you?" Ed turned to face Sam and said, "I wanted to see if you needed any help moving in." Rosie gave Sam a little push and said, "Thanks, Ed. I'm moving my stuff in later this afternoon. That would be great if you could help out."

"Well, we better get going," Sam said, wrapping his arm around Ed's shoulders. Ed glanced curiously at Sam before shrugging his shoulders and allowing Sam to lead him away. Rosie chuckled to herself as Sam continued to pull Ed towards the door. "I'll be back in a few hours, Rosie," Sam called back before closing the door behind him.

Rosie sighed and kicked her shoes off. She shuffled over to the living room windows and crossed her arms over her chest again. She took a good look at the city. She could see the Air Canada Centre on her right and the CN Tower on her left. Between and beyond all that, cars passed by and little dots that could only be people wandered through the streets. She turned her back to the window and looked around her empty apartment.

Sam's words continued to ring in her ears, though whether it was because they were funny or true, she didn't know. "Oh well," she said to herself as she stepped back into her shoes and grabbed her phone from the counter. She checked her pocket for her keys and money before stepping into the hallway and locking the door behind her. _If these guy_s_ are coming over tonight, I'd better have some beer for them;_ she thought as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button.

Rosie finally walked back through her front door at 3 in the afternoon. She pushed a case of beer into the fridge and carried her other bags into the living room. She made the mistake of stopping at the Eaton Centre while she was out and found all new curtains, bed sheets, and towels to make her new place feel more like home. She spread everything out on the floor and tossed the empty shopping bags over her shoulder.

Rosie set her laptop up on the breakfast bar and plugged in her iPod, turning the volume up as loud as it would go. She found the perfect song and danced her way to the fridge for a beer before dancing back to the living room, step stool in tow, to begin hanging her curtains. She continued to dance on the stool as she screwed the curtain rods into place with her little screwdriver. She was engrossed in her work, shaking her hips and singing along to the music, when she heard the door shut behind her. She whirled around and saw Sam, Ed, and Greg standing in the foyer. She blushed and said, "Hey guys," as she climbed down from the step stool.

Sam laughed and shook his head. Greg said nothing; he only looked around the empty space, trying to get that image of Rosie out of his head. "Having fun?" Ed asked with a big smile on his face. Rosie only smiled and replied, "I was, actually." Ed bobbed his head and said, "Well, so was I. So, thanks for that." He grinned and winked at Rosie, who only gave him a little push and a smile as she went to the fridge. "Can I get anyone a beer?"

Sam thanked her and said, "All your stuff's in a truck downstairs," as he pried the bottle cap off. Ed thanked her as well as Sam passed the bottle opener his way. Rosie noticed Greg had not taken a beer from the fridge and asked, "Can I get you anything, Greg?" He shook his head and replied, "No, thanks. I'll just get a bottle of water later." Rosie nodded and took a sip of her beer. "Well," she said as she set her bottle on the counter, "let's get to it, boys."

"Where do you want this, Rosie?" Sam asked as he shuffled through the front door and into the cluttered living room. Rosie pushed a couple of other boxes out of the way and said, "Right here is fine, Sammy. Is that it?" Sam dropped the box to the floor and reached for his near-empty beer. "Ed and Sarge are bringing the last two up now," he said, plopping to the floor for a well-deserved break.

"That's it. These are the last boxes," Ed said triumphantly as he set his down on top of the box Sam had brought in. Greg was right behind him, pushing the front door closed behind him. He gently set the box down on the floor and wiped his brow with his sleeve. Ed slugged down the last of his beer and dug his cell phone from his pocket.

It was almost 6 pm. Sophie would be waiting for him. Clark would be indifferent. Ed would go home and be miserable. He glanced over at Rosie, who was bent over a box of books, her shirt hanging open just enough for him to catch a glimpse of cleavage. He looked at the phone again. There was no message from his family, no obligation to go home yet. He glanced over at Rosie again. He shoved the phone back into his pocket and cracked open another bottle, tossing the cap onto the counter.

Greg watched Ed glance from his phone to Rosie and back again. Ed took a sip from his drink and looked over to Greg, catching his eye. _Go home to your family,_ Greg tried to say telepathically. Ed didn't pick up on the signal. Instead, he set his beer down and crossed the room to Rosie and helped her with some of her books.

Greg knew exactly what was happening here. Why go home to an angry wife when you can find comfort with a soft, innocent young woman? He had been there himself, though it was years ago. He would find some nameless, faceless woman at a bar and share a few good hours with her before making his way home to fall asleep on the couch. He knew what Ed was doing, or trying to do.

But this was different. This wasn't some nameless young woman. This was Rosalie Braddock. Rosie. Sam's little sister. And she wasn't faceless to either of them. Every feature was etched in his memory, from her auburn hair to her green eyes and pink lips. He couldn't let Ed hurt her like Greg had done to so many others.

The sound of Sam's ringing cell phone shook Greg from his thoughts. Sam dug through his pocket until he found the little flip phone. "Hello?" He answered, climbing from the floor to his feet. His face brightened into a smile as he listened to the other end of the conversation. "No, I'm not doing anything. Sure, I'll be there in like 20 minutes? Okay, bye." Sam shoved his phone back into his pocket and grabbed his jacket from one of the barstools. Rosie saw him getting his stuff together and asked, "Where are you going, Sammy?"

Sam pulled his jacket on and said, "I'm meeting someone for dinner." Rosie set the books she was holding down and said, "But I thought you were going to have dinner here. I've got pasta and sauce on the stove." Sam strode over to her and kissed her forehead before saying, "Maybe another time, kiddo. I've got to go." Rosie crossed her arms and watched him close the door behind him.

Rosie kicked a pillow across the floor, oblivious to Ed and Greg still in the room. "I hate when he does this," she said to herself. Rosie pulled her hair back from her face and took a deep breath. "Well," she said as she picked the pillow up and tossed it onto the couch, "Would you guys like to stay for dinner?"

Before Ed could answer, his phone buzzed with a new text message. 'You've been gone all day. Where are you?' he read to himself. He sighed and said, "I wish I could, Rosie, but I have to get home." Rosie nodded and said, "I understand. Thanks for the help, Eddie." Ed couldn't help but smile at the sound of her calling him 'Eddie'.

"Anytime you need anything, just give me a call, okay?" He said as she came towards him. She nodded and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Ed shook Greg's hand and said goodnight before leaving the apartment, pulling the door closed behind him.

Greg couldn't believe he was alone with Rosie. "Are you hungry, Greg?" Rosie asked as she dug through a box to find a couple of plates and glasses. Greg smiled and said, "I'm starving." Rosie fanned herself with her hand as she stirred the pasta sauce on the stove. "It'll be ready in a few minutes," she said, checking on the pasta. Greg took a deep breath and said, "It smells amazing. Can I help with anything?" Rosie looked around the kitchen quickly before remembering the bottle of wine Ed had brought over earlier.

"Why don't you get that bottle of wine down from the cabinet and pour a couple of glasses," she said, pushing two wine glasses and a corkscrew across the counter to him. Greg nodded and pulled the bottle from the shelf. He pried the cork from the bottle and poured out a glass for Rosie before filling his with water. Forcing the cork back into place, he picked up both glasses and carried them over to the stove where Rosie was standing.

"You're not having any?" She asked as she took her glass from his hand. Greg sipped his water and said, "No, I don't drink. I haven't in seven years." Rosie set her glass down and pushed it away. "I had no idea. I won't either, then," she said as she picked her glass up again and poured it down the drain. She rinsed the rest of the red liquid from the glass and filled it with water. Greg couldn't help but smile. No one had ever done that for him. Rosie came back with a glass of water. "Here's to you," she said, offering up a toast. Greg shook his head and replied, "Here's to you."

"So you've lived here your whole life?" Rosie and Greg were sitting side-by-side against a wall of boxes facing the windows. Greg's legs were stretched out straight in front of him while Rosie's were crossed. It was nearly midnight, but neither of them noticed.

Greg nodded and said, "Yeah. I almost left for college, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Even after I got married and my wife wanted to move west to raise a family, I just couldn't do it."

"You're married?" She asked, trying to remain cheerful, but fearing the worst. Greg shook his head. "No, not any more. She left me seven, no, eight years ago. She took my son with her. Dean. He's almost 17 now and I haven't seen him since he was 10. He wants nothing to do with me." His whole demeanor changed in an instant. His shoulders drooped as he turned his face from her to his lap. She didn't know what to say. What could she say?

Rosie reached out and took his hand. His eyes shot up in surprise. "I'm sorry, Greg," she said softly. Greg enjoyed the warmth of her touch as her fingers rubbed over the back of his hand. "I'm sorry," Greg said, shaking his head, "I didn't mean to drag us both down." Rosie shook her head and said, "No, you have nothing to be sorry for. I totally understand. I know how bad it hurts when someone stops caring. That's why I came back to Toronto." Greg dropped Rosie's hand and turned to face her.

"When I was living in Ottawa I was seeing this guy Joey. We had been together for, God, almost three years, we lived together, and we even talked about getting married. I was seeing a therapist and being treated for depression. I was on all kinds of meds, but nothing could control my moods. I would be up and down and all over the place for weeks at a time. He had always been okay with it all, he put up with me because we had been together so long."

Rosie paused and took a deep breath to calm herself. "One day I came home from work and I had been down for so long and I was just…I was done, with all of it. I found the bottle of meds that was supposed to make me feel better and swallowed the rest of them, like 20something pills. Joey found me in the living room and took me to the hospital. He called Sam and said he couldn't handle me anymore, that he couldn't stay with a nutcase like me. And that was it, he was gone. The doctors diagnosed me as bipolar and released me a couple days later and when I got home, all his stuff was gone. I stuck it out in Ottawa for another year or so, but I just couldn't handle it anymore."

Rosie's cheeks were tear stained as she finished her story. Greg felt helpless. He wanted so badly to make her stop crying, to make her smile again. He rose to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest and took long, deep breaths as he rubbed her back. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity before "Dead or Alive" started playing from the kitchen counter. Rosie pulled her head away from Greg's chest and sprung to her feet. "Hello?" She answered, trying to catch her breath.

"Hey kiddo, still awake?" Sam asked. Rosie wiped her eyes and said, "Yeah, I'm just going through some boxes. What's up?" Sam replied, "Not much, I was just in the area and thought I'd see if you wanted a hand." She rolled her eyes and said, "If you want to stop by, that's cool. I'm just finishing for the night." Sam said, "Okay, I'll be there in like 10 minutes." Rosie hung up the phone and looked back at Greg. "Sam's on his way over," she said, gesturing to the phone.

"I should probably go, then." Greg walked toward the breakfast bar and grabbed his coat before making his way to the door. Rosie followed him closely, upset at Sam for ruining their moment. Greg turned the handle and stepped out into the hallway, hesitating as Rosie rested against the open door.

"Thanks, Greg," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Greg smiled and said, "Thanks, Rosie," before turning toward the elevator. Rosie turned back to her apartment and was about to shut the door when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hey, Rosie," Greg said. As she turned back to him, she felt his lips meet hers for a tender kiss. Rosie's hands found his shoulders for a moment before he pulled away and smiled. "Goodnight," he said. Rosie smiled and said, "Goodnight, Greg."


	3. Feel Like Making Love

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed for me, I really do appreciate it! Anyway, these next two chapters are where things start to get interesting. I hope you all enjoy them both!

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Rosie sat at her desk and stared at her calendar. A pile of paperwork was slowly accumulating on the corner of her desk and her computer had gone to sleep nearly ten minutes ago. Her fingers played mindlessly with a pen as her eyes fixated on the calendar on the desktop. She wasn't looking at a date, or even at the calendar itself. She was just staring, daydreaming. She had been like this all week, ever since the night Greg kissed her.

Rosie thought back to their conversation that night. About him and his ex-wife and estranged son, about her and her suicide attempt and the man who left her because of it. Nothing about that night should have led to a kiss. In all honesty, she expected him to run for the hills. She came with a lot of baggage. She was damaged goods. But, then again, so was he.

Rosie jolted back to attention at the sound of her telephone ringing. She dropped her pen and reached for the receiver. "Rosalie Braddock," she said as she answered the call. "Hey Rosie, are you busy?" It was Sam.

"I've got a second, what's up?" She asked as she shuffled through some papers her boss had left for her nearly an hour ago. "I don't have my car here today. Do you think you can pick me up after my shift tonight?" Sam asked. Rosie could hear the guys in the background. "Sure, I can do that. What time are you off?"

"Shift's over at 9 tonight. Are you sure you don't mind?" Rosie shook her head and said, "No problem, Sammy. I'll see you then." Sam thanked her and she hung up the phone. She checked her watch.

It was nearly 6 pm now. The office was still busy, despite the time. With one month to go before training camp started, there was so much work to do. Rosie had been at the office until almost 8 o'clock every night this week. But this was Friday night and she was planning on being out early for once.

The next time Rosie looked at her clock it was 8:15. "So much for that plan," she mumbled to herself as she reached into her desk drawer for her cosmetics bag. She stepped back into her high heel shoes and strolled down the hall to the ladies room. She unzipped the little black bag and pulled out her compact for a quick touch-up, followed by her mascara and then her lipstick. She brushed through her hair quickly and smoothed the wrinkles out of her black pencil skirt before heading back to her desk.

Rosie dropped the little bag back into the drawer and pushed some papers into her bag. She grabbed her coat from the hook by the door and flicked off the desk lamp before heading back down the hall to the elevator.

She sat in traffic as she crossed the city to SRU headquarters. Her dashboard clock glowed 8:37 as she turned off the main road and rolled into the parking lot. She figured she'd be early, but that was okay. Rosie gave herself a quick check from head to toe before climbing out of the car and making her way to the front door.

The same young lady was sitting behind the desk when Rosie walked through the door. The girl smiled at her and said, "Sam's sister, right?" Rosie smiled and nodded. "Wow, I'm impressed you remembered," she said as she rested her arms on the desktop. The girl smiled again and said, "I never forget a face. Names, on the other hand, are a different story." Rosie laughed and said, "Rosie Braddock." The girl shook her hand and introduced herself as Kira. "Are they back yet?" Rosie asked, looking around the station. Kira nodded and said, "Yup, Sam and Jules and the boys are down unpacking the truck. Want me to call him up?" Rosie shook her head and said, "No, don't bug him. I'm early, anyway. I'll just have a seat and wait."

Rosie meandered over to a chair by the wall and made herself comfortable. It wasn't long before she had picked a spot on the floor and began staring, falling into daydreams again. "Hey, Rosie!"

Rosie jumped at the sound of her name. She looked up from the floor and saw Ed walking towards her. "Hey Eddie," she said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "I can barely get my arms around you in all this stuff!" She joked as she poked his chest. "I can take it off for you, if you like," he said with a wink and a smile. Rosie chuckled and said, "Maybe later, stud."

"So what are you doing here so late?" He asked as he placed his hands on his hips. Rosie pushed her bangs back from her eyes and said, "I'm giving Sam a ride home. He didn't bring his car today, I guess." Ed cocked his head and said, "I thought Sam and Spike and Wordy were going out tonight?"

Rosie raised an eyebrow and said, "I hope not. I just talked to him a couple hours ago and he said he needed a ride." Ed scratched the back of his head and said, "Let me go find Sam and find out what's going on. If he ditches you, maybe I can buy you dinner?"

Rosie felt her cheeks turn red as she said, "You got it, Eddie." Ed smiled and said, "I knew you couldn't resist." He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then walked down the hall towards the locker rooms. _I love a man in uniform;_ she thought to herself as she let her eyes wander over his frame. _Wait, this isn't me, _she thought as she shook her head slightly. Rosie mentally scolded herself and made a note to start taking her meds again as soon as she got home.

From the corner of her eye Rosie saw Kira watching her. Rosie simply smiled and lazily walked back over to the desk. She rested against the desktop again and sighed. "He doesn't offer to take his clothes off for many people, you know," Kira said half jokingly. "Lucky me I guess," Rosie chuckled. "Well, he's a charmer, so just, I don't know, watch yourself. That's all," Kira said. "Ed's a good guy," Rosie replied, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Kira smiled and said, "I'm sure you're right."

Rosie rubbed the back of her neck and turned back to the waiting area. _What the hell is Sam doing?_ Rosie thought to herself as she studied the photographs on the walls. From behind her, she heard footsteps coming from the conference room. Rosie turned around, expecting to see Sam.

"Hi Greg," Rosie said softly. Greg approached her with a smile on his face. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek as she did the same. When she pulled away, he looked her over and said, "You look nice. Just come from the office?" Rosie nodded and said, "Yeah, training camp starts soon and we are just swamped with work."

Greg noticed Kira was doing her best to listen in and lead Rosie over towards the briefing room. "I, uh, I meant to call you the other day," he said awkwardly. Rosie smiled and felt herself blush. "I know I already got my goodnight kiss," Greg said with a smile, "but if you're free tomorrow night, maybe we could go out?"

"That sounds like fun," she said, "Give me a call." Rosie reached for the clipboard and pen Greg was holding and scribbled her number down on the corner of a scrap piece of paper. Greg glanced over Rosie's shoulder and saw Ed and Sam coming towards them. "I'll see you later, Rosie," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Rosie was about to say bye, but Greg was already on his way.

"Hey kiddo," Sam said, giving Rosie a quick hug. Rosie smiled and asked, "Are you ready to go?" Sam scratched his head and said, "Well, about that." Rosie huffed. "Sammy, I've been waiting here for almost half an hour and you don't need me? I'm tired! I could be in bed right now!" Sam put his hand on her elbow and led her away from Ed. He leaned in close and said softly, "Look, I finally got Jules to give me another chance, okay?" Rosie crossed her arms and said, "Ugh, whatever. I'm going home." She pushed past Ed and walked out the door.

Rosie was halfway to her car when she heard someone behind her. She turned around and saw Ed jogging towards her in his street clothes. "Hey Eddie," she said. Ed put his arm around her shoulders and walked with her in silence. When she got to her car, Rosie turned to face him and said, "Can I take a rain check on dinner? I'm really not in the mood to go out right now."

Ed opened the car door for her and asked, "Have you eaten yet?" Rosie shook her head. "Well, how about I come over to your place and cook for you?" She took a deep breath and thought of all the reasons she should say no to having him over tonight. She thought of the privacy, of the nearly full bottle of wine in her cabinet, of the fact that she had yet to begin taking her medication again. She was setting herself up for trouble. And then her stomach rumbled. Ed smiled and said, "Can I take that as a yes?"

Rosie cocked her head and raised her eyebrows at him. Ed, still holding the car door, stretched his other hand across to the roof of the car, boxing Rosie in. "Come on," he said sweetly, "No pressure, no strings, Just a couple of friends having dinner." Rosie hesitated, looking for a reason to say no, but finally gave in. "Okay," she said, "Come on over."

Ed walked through the front door into what looked like a whole new apartment. All the boxes were gone and all the furniture was in place. "This place looks great," he said as he watched Rosie set her bag on the dining room table, "You did it all yourself?" Rosie dug her iPod out of her bag and sauntered over to her radio on the corner of the counter. She plugged in the iPod and said, "Sure did. I just needed to get those boxes out of here." In truth, she just needed something to take her mind off what had happened between her and Greg. But she would never say that.

She scrolled through her playlists, trying to find the perfect music for 'two friends having dinner'. From the corner of her eye she saw Ed walk into the kitchen and start opening cabinets. "Any food is on the side by the fridge," she called out to him as she finally settled on her list of classic rock songs. "Is this okay?" she asked him as "Start Me Up" began to play. Ed heard the song and smiled, "Are you kidding? This is one of my favorites!"

Rosie joined him in the kitchen and fought back the giggles as she listened to him sing every word to the song. "What are you looking for?" She asked as she watched him scan a cabinet for the second time. Ed shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not really sure. I'm kind of flying by the seat of my pants here." Rosie shook her head and smiled. She could feel her impulsive self arguing with her rational self… and impulsive was winning.

"What have we here?" Ed said curiously as he pulled down the bottle and two glasses. He pulled the cork and poured two glasses, offering one up to Rosie. "What should we toast to?" Ed asked as he pushed the cork back into place. Rosie swirled her glass. Rational and Impulsive were still fighting in her head. Rational was almost gone, she could feel it. "How about," Rosie started, inching closer to Ed, "Spontaneity."

"I like where this is going," he said with a smirk.

"You really had nothing better to do tonight?" Rosie asked as she handed her empty glass to Ed. He finished what was in his glass with a quick sip and said, "I'm alone in an apartment, drinking wine with a beautiful woman. What could be better than this?" Rosie couldn't help but blush. "You are a charmer, aren't you?" Ed shook his head and said, "Nah, only when I'm drinking." Rosie let a flirty little giggle escape her, something she only did when the alcohol got to her head. "So it's the booze talking?" She teased. "No way, sweetie, that was all me," he said with a wink and a smile.

He reached across the counter and pulled the near- empty wine bottle towards him. As he poured the rest into their glasses, he watched Rosie as she sat across from him and waited for her refill. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her cheeks were flush and her lips glowed an irresistible shade of pink. The top button of her shirt was open and she had long since kicked off her heels.

Ed set the bottle down on the counter and leaned towards Rosie. She smirked at him, not quite sure what he was doing. Before she could protest, Ed's lips were on hers.

Her rational self told her to push him away, but her impulsive self was fully in control. She closed her eyes and kissed him back hungrily. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he stood from his seat and stepped towards her, pinning her between his body and the counter. In a flash, rational had taken over again and Rosie pulled away.

"Eddie," she whispered as he kissed his way down her neck and across her collarbone. His hands roamed free over her as he blocked out her words. "Eddie, please," she said again. He looked up and immediately saw the concern on her face. "What's wrong?"

Rosie shook her head and said, "We can't do this. We're both buzzed. We'll regret it in the morning." Ed nodded and took his hands off her hips before standing up straight.

"I can tell you right now that I wouldn't regret it at all," he said with a smirk, "but if you want me to leave, I will." He backed away from her and began walking toward the front door. Rosie turned and watched him step into his shoes as he got ready to leave. "How are you getting home?" She asked, concerned that he might try to drive. Ed stopped and looked at her. "I hadn't really thought that through," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You've got half a bottle of wine in you, Eddie. You can't drive tonight." Rosie went to the closet in her bedroom and pulled an extra pillow from the top shelf. She returned to the kitchen and handed the pillow to Ed, saying, "Stay here tonight. You can sober up and drive home in the morning."

Ed nodded and slipped his shoes off again. "You're right," he said with a sigh. Rosie nodded triumphantly and said, "I know I am," with a flirty smile on her face. He only chuckled as he followed her toward the sofa in the living room. "You can sleep here," she said with a quick gesture to the couch. Ed dropped the pillow onto the sofa and said, "Am I in the dog house?" Rosie shrugged her shoulders and said, "Couch or floor. Doesn't matter to me which one you choose."

Rosie turned away from him and walked toward her bedroom. She was trying to be tough and turn him away, but every time he looked at her, she found it more and more difficult to do. "Let me get into my pajamas and I'll bring you a blanket," she called back to him as she opened her lingerie chest and pulled out a nightgown.

Rosie stepped out of her skirt and kicked it across the floor towards the laundry hamper by the closet. She unclipped her stockings from her garter belt and rolled them down one by one, and then took the belt off and put them all back into her lingerie chest. She went to her vanity and unclipped her earrings and necklace before laying them back into her jewelry box. Rosie yawned lazily and pulled her shirt up over her head. When she opened her eyes and looked into the mirror she saw Ed leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching her undress.

"Please, don't stop on my account," he said holding his hands up, a smirk creeping across his face. He crossed his arms again and looked her over from head to toe. She looked amazing standing before him in nothing but her lacey purple bra and panties. "I told you to wait in the living room," she said, placing her hands on her hips, not bothering to cover up. Ed nodded and began walking towards her slowly, much like he would a subject at work. "I got lonely," he said with a shrug.

"You're drunk," Rosie replied, refusing to move away from him. By now, Ed was only inches away from her. She could smell his cologne, feel the heat radiating between them. "You can't prove that," he said softly, closing the gap between them.

Rosie wanted to push him away, to send him back to the living room and go to bed. But impulsive took over again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She felt his hands first on her hips, then on her thighs and finally behind her back. His lips left hers and began traveling down her neck, to the base of her throat and back to her lips again. He edged her back towards the bed and she happily complied, pulling him down on top of her.

Morning came much too quickly for Rosie. She rolled over to the sound of her cell phone ringing. There was no song, only the irritating little beeps that the phone came with. She felt around on the table top for the phone and took a quick peek at the number. She almost didn't answer it until she thought about Greg and the date they had tonight. "Hello?" She answered, still lying on her stomach. "Hi Rosie, it's Greg." Rosie smiled and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Hi, how are you?" She asked cheerily. "Pretty good, actually. How are you doing? I heard Sam ditched you last night." Rosie shrugged, even though he couldn't see her, and said, "Yeah, but I'm okay. I was just a little tired and a little frustrated, that's all. So what's up?"

"I was wondering if you were still available tonight. I thought maybe I could take you to dinner or something," he said hopefully. Rosie was about to answer when she felt something rub against her leg beneath the blankets. She looked to her right and saw Ed, on his back, sleeping soundly.

Fighting back panic, Rosie threw off the covers and said, "Greg, can I call you back?" Greg sounded worried as he asked, "Is everything okay?" Rosie pulled on the first thing she could find and said, "Yeah, someone's at the door. I'll call you back in a few minutes, okay?" Before Greg could say anything else, Rosie had ended the call and tossed the phone back on to the table. "Ed, get up," she said, giving him a little push.

Ed's eyes struggled open as he stretched his arms high above his head. He looked around the unfamiliar room, trying to remember where he was. He looked over to his right and saw a window looking out over the city. He looked to the left and saw Rosie, standing beside the bed wearing his undershirt. It took a minute for everything to connect, but once it did, he jumped out of the bed and wrapped the bed sheet around his waist.

"I was dreaming, right? We didn't really… did we?" He knew the answer before the question left his mouth. He remembered it all clearly, from the smell of her perfume to the color of the bra and panties he had taken off of her. Sensing her anxiety, Ed feigned his own nervous reaction.

Rosie covered her face with her hands and sat on the edge of the bed with her back to him. "Yeah, we did," she whispered between her fingers. She closed her eyes and watched the slideshow of images from the night before flash through her mind. Ed walked around the bed and sat beside her.

"Relax, sweetie," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, "I won't say a word." Rosie rested her head against his bare shoulder and took a deep breath. Her memory was vivid and all she could see in her mind was Ed above her. All she could feel were his hands moving over every inch of her skin.

"Why don't you get dressed," she said as she stood from the bed. Ed nodded and stood as well. When he turned around to start picking up his clothes, Rosie stopped dead. "Oh, God," she groaned as she shook her head. Ed straightened up and smirked, "That sounds familiar." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the mirror. "Look at your back." Ed glanced over his shoulder at the mirror and saw his back was decorated with burning red scratch marks. "You must have had a good time," he said with a smirk as he jerked his thumb back towards the mirror.

Rosie traced her fingers over the fresh scratches and asked, "Do they hurt?" Ed shook his head and said, "Nah. But if we do this again I'm gonna have to ask you to cut your fingernails." Rosie shook her head and replied, "You can't take your shirt off in the locker room for a while. You can't let anyone see these." Ed kissed her cheek and said, "Relax, no one will find out." Rosie smiled, but before she could answer, the doorbell rang.

"Fuck me," she sighed as she scrambled to find a pair of sweat pants. Ed pulled on his pants and said, "Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I…" Rosie threw his socks at him and said, "Shut up, Eddie. Just get dressed and stay in here, okay?" Rosie pulled her bedroom door shut and mumbled, "This is too much stress for 8 in the morning," as she shuffled through the living room to the front door.

When she opened the door, she saw Sam standing in the hallway holding two cups from Tim Horton's. "Did I wake you?" He asked. Rosie shook her head and said, "No, I've been up for a little bit. What do you want?" Sam offered her one of the cups and said, "I wanted to apologize for ditching you last night. I should have called you and let you know what was happening." Rosie took the cup and popped open the lid. "Hot chocolate, my favorite," she said with a smile. "I know you hate coffee. So can I come in?" Rosie nodded and said, "Yeah, just hang out for a second while I get dressed." Sam walked through the doorway and set his coffee down on the counter. Rosie walked past him and said, "I'll be right back," before scurrying down to her bedroom.

Ed was sitting on the bed, waiting for Rosie to come back. She closed the door behind herself and began pulling off her pajamas. "Do you want me to leave?" Ed asked quietly as she dropped the sweat pants and pulled on a clean pair of panties. Rosie pulled her jeans on and whispered, "Seriously, Eddie?" Ed shrugged his shoulders at her sarcastic response and whispered, "Did I hear Sam out there?"

Rosie nodded as she hooked her bra and pulled a shirt on. "Yeah, he came to apologize. I'll get you out of here as soon as I can," she said as she dragged the brush through her hair.

Sam was sitting on the sofa when Rosie came back to the living room. She sat in the chair across from him and asked, "How was dinner last night?" Sam brightened up and said, "We had a great time. I had forgotten how amazing she is. I'm glad we're trying again. So, what did you do last night?"

Rosie cleared her throat and said, "Oh, um, nothing really. It was pretty boring." From behind the bedroom door, she heard Ed clear his throat, obviously offended by her comment. She looked quickly towards the door, but then turned back to Sam. "That's too bad," Sam said, "What about tonight?" Rosie scratched her head and said, "I think I'm meeting some people from work for a drink."

"I'm glad to hear you're making friends," Sam nodded and started to stand, "I just wanted to apologize for last night." Rosie followed him to the door and said, "No worries, Sammy. I'll talk to you later." She gave him a quick hug and watched him get on the elevator before closing the door. When she turned around, Ed was in the living room.

"Boring, huh?" he asked with his arms crossed. "You know, I have evidence to the contrary," he said pointing to his back. "Shut up," Rosie said with a smile. She sipped her hot chocolate and said, "Okay, you have to go now. I have to make a phone call." Ed stole a sip from her cup and walked over to the door. She watched him get his stuff together and opened the door for him when he was ready. He bent down and kissed her cheek, lingering for an extra second as he passed her lips. "We'll have to do this again," he said softly as he stood straight again. Rosie chuckled and said, "Bye, Eddie," before closing the door behind him.

Rosie dashed back to her bedroom and jumped onto the bed. She sifted through her recent calls until she found Greg's number and hit send.

"Hello?" She smiled when she heard Greg's voice on the line.

"Hi Greg, it's Rosie."

"Hey Rosie, everything okay there?"

"Oh yeah. Sam stopped over. He wanted to apologize for last night."

"Good, glad to hear it. Anyway, are we still on for tonight?"

"Absolutely. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about it and decided I want to surprise you."

"Ooh, okay. What should I be prepared for?"

"Be comfortable. And warm."

"Okay, I can do that. What time?"

"I get off shift at 6, so I'll pick you up at 7:30ish, is that okay?"

"I'll see you at 7:30ish then."

Rosie hung up the phone and set it beside her on the bed. Her smile was still in place as she thought of where Greg might be taking her later. She glanced to the bedside table and saw her pill bottle resting next to a bottle of water. She reached out for both bottles and popped the lid off the pill bottle. She dropped two of the little pills onto her tongue and swallowed them with a big drink of water. "Enough," she said softly, "enough now."


	4. Use Sombody

Okay, so I know I said it before, but this chapter and the one before it are kind of important. I really need some input from those of you reading this story. I have two distinct ideas here, but I can't decide which way to go. Please, review and let me know which you would rather see, Ed or Greg. Any input is most welcome and always appreciated!

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Ed slipped through the front door and closed it silently behind him. He could hear the shower running upstairs and cartoons on the television in the kitchen. He hung his coat on a hook behind the door and walked through the dining room to the kitchen. His son, Clark, was leaning against the counter, watching cartoons and eating a giant bowl of cereal. "Morning kiddo," Ed said to Clark as he reached into the cabinet for a coffee mug. Clark looked away from the television just long enough to say, "Hey dad," before returning to the world of Scooby-Doo.

Ed filled his mug and sat down at the kitchen table with the newspaper. Neither he nor Clark said a word. Finally, Ed decided to speak up. "What did you guys do last night?" Clark rolled his eyes at his dad's lame attempt at small talk and said, "Mom ordered pizza. She was too pissed at you to cook." Ed set his paper down and said, "Pissed at me? Why?" Clark shrugged and said, "She tried to call you like 10 times and you didn't answer."

Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He went to his missed call list and saw the last one came at 1:13 am. Ed closed his eyes and remembered what he was doing at 1:13 and how he loved the sound of his name coming from Rosie's lips.

Clark set his bowl down on the table and sat across from his dad. He shoved a big spoonful into his mouth and asked, "Didn't you wear that yesterday?" Ed pulled his mug away from his mouth and looked down at his shirt. _I'm being caught in a walk of shame by my own son,_ he thought to himself. Fishing for an answer, Ed stood and said, "Yeah, I guess I did. I'll be right back."

The bathroom was empty when Ed passed by on the way to the master bedroom, whistling as he went. He pushed open the bedroom door and saw his wife, Sophie, brushing out her wet hair. "You're in a good mood this morning," she said as she set her brush down on top of her dresser. Ed smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess I am." She dropped her arms to her side and said, "You didn't come home last night."

Ed shook his head and replied, "No, I went out with Sam and Wordy for a drink and I guess I had a few too many. I spent the night on Sam's couch." Sophie crossed her arms and said, "I thought Sam's sister was sleeping on Sam's couch."

He walked to his dresser, a smile still on his face, and pulled a new set of clothes from the drawers. "Rosie moved out a week ago. Remember? I went and helped Sam and Greg move some stuff in." Sophie crossed her arms and stared at Ed's back. She knew something was off, but she couldn't figure out what exactly. Ed felt her glaring at him, but he ignored it. He turned to face her as he unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it onto the bed. "You didn't answer your phone when I called you," Sophie said. Ed pulled on a new undershirt and asked, "I was probably sleeping. I told you, I had a little too much to drink and slept it off on Sam's couch."

Sophie walked over to the bedroom door and closed it. "I don't want Clark hearing this," she said as she crossed her arms. Ed finished buttoning his shirt and said, "Hearing what?" Sophie took a deep breath and asked, "You didn't come home last night. You didn't answer my calls. You didn't tell me you were going out. What's going on here, Ed?" Ed pulled a clean pair of jeans on and said, "What do you want me to say, Sophie?" Sophie threw her hands into the air and said, "I want you to be honest with me."

"What? I'm not allowed to be in a good mood?" Ed asked as he sat on the bed to pull his socks on. Sophie put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Not when you didn't come home the night before, you're not!" Ed stood from the bed and stared at her. "Are you accusing me of something?" Sophie crossed her arms. "Should I be?" Ed put his shoes back on and said, "I don't have time for this. I have to go."

Sophie watched him open the door and walk down the hall towards the stairs. She followed behind him and stood at the foot of the staircase as he pulled on his jacket. He picked up his keys from the table and was about to leave when Sophie asked, "What's her name, Ed?"

Ed turned back and faced her, his wife. "I'm going to work," he said quietly before slamming the door shut behind him.

Ed could almost see the SRU headquarters as he sat at a red light. He reached down and started playing with the radio dial, jumping from station to station. He stopped when he heard one station playing "Feel Like Making Love" by Bad Company. It had always been one of his favorite songs, but today, it was even more special. He remembered hearing it playing in the kitchen as he touched Rosie in her bedroom. He sang along as the light turned green and he turned into the SRU parking lot.

By the time Ed walked through the front door of the SRU, the smile was back on his face and the swagger back in his walk. He pushed open the door to the locker room and saw Wordy and Spike already getting ready for their shift. "Good morning, gentlemen," Ed greeted cheerfully as he opened his locker. Spike and Wordy looked at each other for a moment. It had been a long time since Ed had been in such a good mood. "Morning, Ed," Wordy said as he hung his jacket up in his locker. "You're in a good mood today," Spike said as he tied up his sneakers.

Ed shrugged his shoulders and continued to sing as he hung up his coat. When the door opened again, Sam came into the room. He greeted them all in his own special way before opening his locker and pulling off his t-shirt. "Are you singing, Ed?" Sam asked as he pulled on his gym shorts. Ed nodded and said, "Indeed Officer Braddock, I am." Sam looked at Wordy and Spike, who only shrugged.

Ed pulled on his gym shorts and stood from the bench, pulling his undershirt off as he did. "Woah!" Spike exclaimed when he caught sight of Ed's back. Ed turned around with his eyebrow raised before remembering the scratches. Frustrated at himself for being careless, but in too good a mood to get upset, Ed tossed his shirt into the locker and pulled out his black SRU t-shirt.

"It all makes sense now," Spike said as he crossed his arms. Wordy and Sam looked at Spike, waiting for an answer, as Ed pulled on his t-shirt. "You're smiling, you're singing, and you're back's a mess. Boys, Mr. Lane here is on a sex high," Spike said. "Come off it, Spike," Ed said as he bent over to tie his sneakers. "No, no, no," Spike said, "I'm right, aren't I?" Ed rested his forearms on his knees and looked at Spike without saying a word. "Nothing to say?" Spike asked as Ed stood up.

Ed draped his towel over his shoulder and started walking to the door. Walking backwards, Ed looked at Spike and said, "What can I say, Spike? I know how to make the good girls go bad."

"Lady and Gentlemen how are we this morning?" Greg asked as he walked into the training room. He heard various shouts from different corners of the room as he climbed onto the stationary bicycle and started peddling. Ed was beside him on the treadmill. Spike was across from them doing bench presses. "How we doing, Ed?" Greg asked as he picked up his pace. "Can't complain, Boss," Ed said as he continued running.

Spike overheard the conversation and said, "We all know that's true," as he did another set of bench presses. Ed shook his head and chuckled as Sam and Wordy laughed out loud. "What did I miss?" Greg asked before sipping his water. Spike replaced the weight he was lifting and sat up. He pointed to Ed and said, "Mr. Lane was singing in the locker room this morning." Greg shrugged his shoulders and asked, "So what?" Ed shook his head and said, "Nothing," but Spike said, "Singing in the morning means lucky the night before."

Greg looked over at Ed, who was doing everything he could to avoid Greg's gaze. Before he could ask and questions, the alarm went off and Kira's voice came over the intercom. "Team One, hot call. Gear up."

There was still an hour left in their shift when the team arrived back at headquarters. Sam and Jules were emptying out the truck as Wordy helped Spike move his techie toys back into the building.

Ed and Greg were sitting in the briefing room going over the last few papers about the incident when, out of the blue, Greg asked, "What was Spike talking about earlier?" Ed looked up from the table and said, "Nothing. Spike was just being Spike." Greg dropped his pen and said, "No, he wasn't. You're avoiding the subject. You have been all day." Ed returned to the paperwork and said, "I'm fine."

Greg shrugged his shoulders and returned to his work. He knew something was up. It was only a matter of time before Ed would crack. After ten minutes of silence, Ed tossed his pen onto the table and said, "I cheated on Sophie last night." Greg sat back in his chair and said, "I know you did."

Ed crossed his arms and said, "But it's the strangest thing. All my life, everyone has said, 'if you're unfaithful, you'll regret it' and here I am, hours after leaving the bed of another woman, and I don't feel guilty at all."

Greg shrugged his shoulders and said, "I never did either." Ed closed his eyes and said, "I guess you have to have to care about someone before you can care about hurting them." Greg leaned forward again and asked, "You don't really mean that, do you?" Ed pressed his fingers into his eyes. "I keep telling myself that I love her because I married her and had a baby with her. But, the more I think, the more I realize that I…I just don't feel the same way anymore. I don't love her like that anymore."

Ed gazed off into space and smiled. "But this girl I was with last night…now she is something special." Greg crossed his arms over his chest and listened as Ed continued to gush about this mystery girl. "I mean, she's sweet and warm and innocent but at the same time there is this fire in her that just pulls you in and makes you want her, more of her, than you could probably handle. And her smile, her voice… it all just gets my juices flowing…makes me feel 20 years younger, you know? It's a lucky man that gets to go home to her every night."

"Why can't that be you?" Greg asked. Ed shook his head. Greg leaned forward and said, "Seriously. You talk about her the way you used to talk about Sophie. Why can't you get a second chance with this girl?"

Ed sat for a moment and let the thought sink in. "I'm still married, Greg. Are you saying I should divorce Sophie and go after this girl?" Greg shook his head fervently. "No, I'm not saying that at all. Only you can make that decision. What I'm saying is, if things don't improve at home and you two split up, this girl could be fate offering you a second chance. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be, you know?"

Sam poked his head through the doorway and said, "Hey guys, we're all going to grab a drink when we get off, you want to come along?" Ed nodded and said, "Yeah that sounds good." Sam nodded towards Greg and asked, "What about you, boss? You want to come?" Greg stood from his chair and started to shuffle the papers on the table into a neat pile. "I wish I could, guys," he said as he slid them into a folder, "But I have a date tonight."

The clock in the living room had just struck 7:30 and Rosie was already pacing the floor. She had checked and rechecked her hair, her make-up, and her clothes. She hated this time just before a date. She always obsessed over everything, from what she was wearing to what she would say. She checked the clock again. 7:31. "Calm down," she said to herself, "he said 7:30ish and it's only 7:30 now. He'll be here." Just as she was about to go back to her bedroom for another wardrobe change, she heard her doorbell buzz.

She hustled over to the door and then stood behind it for a minute to catch her breath and calm her nerves. "Deep breaths," she whispered to herself as she rested her hand on the doorknob. Finally, she turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Greg was standing in the hallway, a rose in his hands. "Hi, Rosie," he said with a smile. He extended the rose to her and said, "This is for you." Rosie took the rose from his hand and took a quick sniff. "Thanks, Greg. It's beautiful." She reached behind her and set it down on the counter. "Ready to go?" Greg asked. Rosie nodded and grabbed her coat from a hook by the door. "Let's go," she said with a smile as she pulled the door closed.

"So, where are we going?" Rosie asked as Greg held the car door open for her. He walked around the front of the car and got in the driver's side. As he turned the key he said, "Well, I was thinking of taking you to dinner, but then I thought everyone goes to dinner on their first date, so I decided to try something different." The car left the parking lot and drove down the street towards suburbia. "So you're still not going to tell me?" Rosie asked.

Greg shook his head and said, "Nope, not yet." Rosie put on a fake pout lip and said, "Please, Greg…" Greg glanced over and fought back laughter. "Does that usually work?" Rosie nodded and said, "Usually, but apparently not with you, huh?" Greg sighed and said, "Okay, you really want to know?" Rosie nodded. Greg turned into a parking lot and found a space up front. "We're here, close your eyes." Rosie got out of the car and closed her eyes. Greg took hold of her arm and said, "I'll tell you when to open them, okay?" Rosie agreed and followed Greg's lead into the building.

"Okay, open them." Rosie looked around and saw they were at a hockey rink. She heard music playing and looked through the glass at the people enjoying the free skate time. "What a fun idea!" she said as she unconsciously wrapped her arm around Greg's. Greg smiled when he saw how excited she was. "You know how to skate?" he asked as they stood in line to get skates. Rosie shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sort of. I haven't skated in years. But you'll be there to catch me."

They sat on the bleachers and took off their shoes. Greg got into his skates easily and laced them up tight. Rosie fought a little with her laces, trying to get them as tight as she could. Greg looked over and saw her struggling. "Want some help?" he asked as he finished tying his laces. Rosie nodded and said, "I never could get this part right."

Greg got down on his knees in front of her and patted his thigh. Rosie rested her foot gently against his leg, afraid of hurting him with the blade. She watched him work quickly as he tugged the laces tighter and tighter. "How does that feel?" he asked when he had finished. Rosie smiled and said, "Perfect." Greg nodded and gently placed her foot back on the ground. He got back onto his feet and offered her his hand. She took hold and pulled herself onto her feet.

Greg stepped onto the ice first and skated a little circle before returning to the door for her. She took his hand again and stepped onto the ice. She was a little unsteady at first, almost falling as she pushed off her back foot. Greg grabbed her arm and put his hand on her back to keep her up. "My hero," she said with a giggle as he helped her get steady again. "Alright now?" Greg asked before taking his hand off her back. Rosie nodded and pushed off again, moving forward with Greg this time.

They skated laps around the rink, dodging small children and teenage couples as they went. "What made you think of this for a date?" Rosie asked. Greg shrugged and replied, "I'm not sure, really. I've loved skating when I was a kid. It was always such a fun thing for me and I figured, why not share that?" Rosie smile and said, "I think it's a great idea. Plus, it gives me an excuse to do this." She reached over and looped her arm through his. Greg smiled and said, "Well, there's that too."

The more laps they skated, the more the crowds thinned out until it was only Rosie and Greg left.

"Did you play hockey when you were a kid?" Rosie asked as they skated through a corner. Greg nodded and replied, "Yeah, I played in this building." Rosie looked around the rafters and asked, "What position did you play?" Greg dropped her arm and took hold of her hand. "Let me show you," he said as he led her towards center ice. "You were a center," Rosie said as they skated into the faceoff circle. Greg skated up to her and said, "No, I was a defenseman, but I always wanted to kiss a girl at center ice," as he closed the gap between them.

Rosie closed her eyes as their lips connected. She felt his hand come up and stroke her cheek as she rested her palms against his chest. She deepened the kiss as he dropped his hands to her waist. Behind them, the zamboni rolled onto the ice and the music cut out. Greg pulled away and looked at his watch. "They're kicking us out," he said softly. "That's okay," she replied. Rosie smiled and took his hand to lead him off the ice.

Greg and Rosie stepped off the elevator and walked slowly towards her front door. She still had butterflies in her stomach from the kiss at the ice rink. When they reached the front door, Rosie pushed her key into the lock and turned back to Greg. "I had a great time, Greg," she said with a smile. Greg smiled too and said, "So did I. We'll have to do this again some time." Rosie fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, waiting for him to make a move. Greg rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to kiss her again, but he didn't want to give her the wrong idea about his intentions.

"Do you want to come in for a little bit?" Rosie asked as she pointed over her shoulder to the door. Greg nodded and said, "Yeah, I'd love to," and followed Rosie into the apartment. She hung up her coat and took his to do the same. "Have a seat," she said as she wandered into the kitchen, "Can I get you something to drink?" Greg sat on the same bar stool Ed had been on the night before and said, "Do you have any coffee?" Rosie nodded and reached up into a cabinet.

"I don't drink it myself, but I keep it around, just in case," she said as she scooped the coffee grounds into a filter and poured in some water. Greg leaned forward against the counter. "What do you drink, then?" Rosie poured some milk into a mug and said, "Cocoa usually…or juice, but mostly cocoa." She placed the mug into the microwave and hit the start button before joining Greg.

Ten minutes later, they sat together in the living room nursing hot mugs. Rosie sipped her cocoa slowly and placed the mug on the table. "Can I ask you a question?" She said as she leaned back against the couch cushion. Greg nodded and said, "Ask anything." Rosie crossed her legs underneath her and said, "The night you stayed to help me move in, remember? When I told you about what happened in Ottawa and all?" Greg nodded and said, "Of course I remember." Rosie took a deep breath and asked, "Why did you kiss me that night? I mean, I expected you to run for the hills after that story I told you."

Greg hung his arm over the back of the sofa and turned to face her. "Why would I run from you?" Rosie raised her eyebrows and said, "Why? Because I come with so much baggage, it's not even funny. Mental illness, suicide attempts, uncontrollable moods. I'm damaged goods, Greg, whether you believe it or not." Greg put his hand on his chest and asked, "And I'm not? Rosie, do you have any idea of what I come with? I'm a recovering alcoholic who, in the past, couldn't control his temper and couldn't keep it in his pants. I've got an ex-wife, and estranged son, and a job that takes up 80 percent of my time. Honestly, Rosie, I never expected you'd see me like this."

Rosie looked down to her lap. The more she learned about him, the more she realized how similar they were. "And I kissed you because I didn't see a girl with issues and baggage and whatever else. I saw a beautiful woman who was strong, who was doing the best with the shitty cards she was dealt," Greg said as he placed his hand on her knee. Rosie leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. When she pulled back, Greg looked her in the eyes and said, "I should go." Rosie looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight, though neither of them felt tired.

"I had a great time tonight," Greg said as he pulled on his jacket. Rosie opened the door for him and said, "So did I." He leaned down and kissed her softly before saying, "Goodnight, Rosie." She smiled and said, "Goodnight, Greg," and watched him step onto the elevator.

The next morning, Greg walked into the SRU. "Hey, Sarge. I thought Team 1 was off today?" Kira asked as Greg walked towards the desk. Greg tapped the desk with his fingers and said, "We are, but I just wanted to catch up on some work." Kira nodded and said, "Well, Ed's here, too. He's in the briefing room." Greg looked to his right and saw Ed sitting in the briefing room flipping through a catalog.

"Our one day off and you're still here," Greg said as he walked through the door of the briefing room. Ed looked up and said, "I could say the same to you. How was the date last night?"

Greg sat in his usual chair and said, "Man, it was amazing. This girl is just…I can't even describe her. She's sweet and funny and beautiful. I can't wait to see her again." Ed smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen Greg so excited about a woman. "Are you going to see her again?" He asked as he continued to flip through the catalog in front of him. Greg smiled and said, "I hope so. I'm going to send her some flowers, let her know I had a great time and want to see her again soon." He looked at the catalog on the table and asked, "What are you looking for?"

Ed flipped the book closed and said, "Remember the girl I told you about?" Greg nodded. "Well, I want to give her something, something to let her know she wasn't just a hook-up, you know? Something special. But I have no clue where to even start."

Greg pushed the catalog away and said, "Flowers, perfume, candy. Something personal, something that will have meaning for her." Ed flipped open to the intimate apparel section and asked, "So lingerie is out?" Greg nodded and said, "Yeah, Ed, lingerie is definitely out. What perfume does she wear?" Ed shook his head and said, "I have no clue, but I'd know it if I smelled it, trust me on that one." Greg stood up and said, "Well, let's go, then. I've got to pick out some flowers, anyway."

Greg and Ed strolled into the perfume section of the department store. They looked at the shelves and cases full of sparkling bottles in awe. "You really have no idea what it was called?" Ed shook his head and said, "Nope. It was flowery, but it was fruity, too." Greg led Ed over to a counter and said, "We'll just have to ask for help." A middle aged woman in a black suit came over to them and said, "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

Greg said, "Yes, my friend here is looking for a perfume, but her doesn't remember what it's called." The woman smiled and asked Ed, "For your wife?" Ed smiled and said, "Well, not really." The woman raised her eyebrows and said, "Do you remember what it smells like?" Ed smiled and said, "Boy do I. It's flowery and fruity." The woman reached up onto a shelf behind her and said, "Try this one." Ed sniffed the tester strip and shook his head. "No, it smelled more like strawberries." The woman brought another bottle down. Again Ed shook his head.

After twenty minutes of Ed trying to remember the smell, Greg said, "Did you see the bottle at all?" Ed closed his eyes and thought back to when he was watching Rosie undress by her dresser. He pictured her jewelry box, her mirror, and a square glass bottle with a silver bow around the neck. "Yeah, it was little and square with a silver bow around the neck." The woman held up a finger and walked out from behind the counter. She crossed the aisle to another counter and returned with a small silver bow, just like Ed had described. "Try this," the woman said, spritzing a tester strip.

Ed took a deep breath and saw Rosie in his mind like a flashback. He blinked his eyes open and said, "Oh yeah, that's the one. What's it called?" The woman set the bottle down and said, "Miss Dior Cherie." Ed nodded and said, "Do you have any of that in a really pretty bottle?" The woman nodded and said, "We haven't put it out yet, but we have a special edition atomizer." She set a pink glass atomizer on the counter. Ed picked it up and said, "I'll take it."

"Now how do I send it to her?" Ed asked as he followed Greg into the florist. Greg looked at a couple of flower arrangements and said, "Hire someone to deliver it to her." Greg walked up to the counter and said, "I want to send flowers to a girl I went out with last night, any suggestions?" The woman behind the desk said, "Maybe lilies, or cherry blossoms? Then again, you can't go wrong with roses."

Greg pointed to a vase behind the counter and asked, "What are those?" The girl brought the vase over and said, "These are lilies. These are a big hit on Valentine's Day." Greg took a quick sniff of one of the lilies and said, "These are perfect. Can I send two dozen, please?" The girl nodded and handed him a card. "Write out the card and then fill in the address where you want them delivered, okay?" Greg went to work on the card and Ed stopped the girl. "Excuse me, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I just bought a bottle of perfume for this girl and I want to send it to her. If I pay for delivery, can you guys deliver it for me?"

The girl smiled and pulled out another card and said, "Absolutely. Just fill in the card and address, okay?" Ed nodded and thanked took the card and a pen back to where Greg was standing and said, "They're going to deliver it for me." Greg smiled and said, "Perfect," before returning to the card. They both finished their messages and moved on to the address part.

Without knowing, they both filled in Rosie's work address at the Air Canada Centre.


	5. The Middle

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, I truly do appreciate it. I am sorry this has taken me so long to post, but life always seems to interfere. Anyway, I am always looking for input, so if you have an opinion or idea, please let me know! I hope you enjoy it!

P.S.- The song for the last chapter was "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. This chapter's song is "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World.

* * *

"Hey, Rosalie, there's a delivery guy her for you." Rosie looked up from her computer screen and saw the office secretary standing in her doorway. "For me?" She asked as she stood from her desk. The secretary nodded and said, "Yeah, he's got flowers and a little bag for you." Rosie followed the small woman out to the desk and signed the delivery man's clipboard.

She set the flowers on the edge of her desk and the bag on her chair. Rosie smiled and buried her face in the bouquet of lilies. The bouquet was a beautiful collection of white flowers, some splashed with pink, in a lovely vase. She plucked the card from the flowers and flipped it open.

_Dear Rosie,_

_I had a great time with you last night. I'd really like to do it again and get to know you more. I hope you like the flowers. For some reason, they reminded me of you._

_Greg_

She set the card down on her desk by the vase and reached for the gift bag that had also arrived for her. "This can't be from him, too," she said quietly as she untied the purple ribbon that was wrapped around the bag handles. She peeked inside and saw a delicate decorative bottle of her perfume. She held it in the palm of her hand and studied it from all sides. Setting it down, she reached for the card that came with it. The note with this gift was longer than the one Greg had sent with the flowers.

_Dear Rosie,_

_I know what happened the other night changes everything about our friendship. You are a beautiful, caring woman and I feel like I owe you an apology for putting you in an awkward position. I promise you it wasn't my intention. I'm sorry I took advantage of you when all you were trying to do was take care of me. If it's alright with you, I'd like to try again. Please, Rosie, give me one more chance._

_Ed_

Rosie closed the card and collapsed into her chair. She slumped down and held both cards in her hands. "I can't handle this," she said quietly as she reread both cards. She needed to talk this through with someone, to get everything off her chest and hear someone else's opinion. She set both cards down and reached for her day planner.

Inside the front cover was a list of telephone numbers Sam had given her in case of emergencies. She scanned through the list and saw the SRU headquarters number, Sam's home and cell phone numbers, Wordy's number, Spike's number, and at the very bottom, Jules' number. She reached for her phone and punched the number in slowly. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she said as she hit the last button and listened to the call connect.

"Hello?" Rosie jumped when she heard Jules pick up. She wasn't expecting her to be home. "Hi, Jules, it's Rosie Braddock."

Jules' tone brightened as she said, "Hey, Rosie. Is everything okay?" Rosie said, "Yeah, everything's fine. Did I catch you at a bad time?" Jules replied, "Nope, not at all. I was just folding some laundry. What's up?" Rosie took a deep breath and said, "Well, I was wondering, and stop me at any point if you can't or won't or whatever, but I was wondering if we could meet for coffee or something. I'm sorry to bother you, but I just need to talk to another girl and I really don't know anyone yet because my office is full of guys and I know you and my brother are…"

"Whoa, Rosie, slow down. Of course we can have coffee. I totally understand needing to talk to another girl. I'm not on until 7 tonight. When do you get out of work?" Rosie flipped through the files on her desk and said, "I can be out of here by three or so, does that work?" Jules said, "Yeah, that's fine. There's a coffee shop on the corner across from the arena, do you know it?" Rosie replied, "Yeah, I know where it is. I'll meet you there at 3?" Jules said, "Sure, sounds like a plan. See you then."

Rosie hung up her phone and rested her head in her hands. "Oh boy," she huffed as she pushed the flowers away from the corner of her desk. She put the perfume back into the bag and pushed it towards the flowers. Rosie read the cards one more time before sliding them into her briefcase and returning to her work.

At three o'clock, Rosie packed up her papers and shoved them into her briefcase. She slung the bag over her shoulder and picked up the vase of flowers with one hand and rested it on her hip. She wrapped her fingers through the handles of the gift bag and walked towards the elevators.

When she got to the coffee shop, she saw Jules waiting for her at a table by the front windows. "Hey Jules, thanks for meeting me," Rosie said as she set her briefcase on the floor. "Of course, I'm happy to. Us girls have to stick together, right?" Rosie smiled and set the vase of flowers and the gift bag on the extra chair beside her. "Someone likes you," Jules said, looking over the flowers and gift that came with them. Rosie sighed and said, "That's the problem." Jules sipped her coffee and said, "Okay, I'm listening."

"Okay, so I had a special guy over for dinner the other night and we had some wine and, please don't think bad of me, but one thing led to another and we…we made a questionable decision, you know?" Jules nodded her head and said, "Yeah, I got it. Go on." Rosie sipped the tea the waitress had brought her and continued. "So he left the next morning and sent me this beautiful bottle of perfume today with this card." Rosie reached into her bag and pulled out both cards. She opened up the one from Ed and read it aloud to Jules, leaving his name off the end.

"That's so sweet, I wish a man would do something like that for me," Jules said once Rosie had finished the note. Rosie nodded and said, "I know, I never expected anything like this. I figured it was just a fling." Jules sipped her coffee and said, "So what's the problem, then?" Rosie set the card down and said, "Well, last night I went on a date with a great guy and we had so much fun. He took me ice skating and then we went back to my house for coffee and he was a perfect gentleman the entire time, it was just…I can't even describe it. I had such a great time with him."

"Uh oh," Jules said, sensing the problem. Rosie sipped her tea and said, "He sent me these today," as she gestured to the flowers beside her, "with this card." She read Greg's card out loud to Jules. "I don't know what to do, Jules. I really like them both. I want to see more of them, but I don't want to hurt either of them."

Jules leaned forward against the table. "Go with what your gut says, Rosie. You obviously want to give it a try with the first guy. You couldn't stop smiling when you read the card he sent you." Rosie sipped her tea and asked, "But what about the other guy? I don't want to hurt him." Jules shook her head and said, "See him again, too. I'm not saying date them both at the same time, but one more date with each of them will only help you get to know them and make the decision that is best for you."

Ed opened the front door and tossed his keys onto the table. He looked around and saw the television was off and Clark's backpack wasn't by the door. Ed shrugged his shoulders and hung up his coat. "Anyone home?" He called as he strolled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and, when he looked up, he saw Sophie standing in the doorway. "We need to talk, Ed," she said coldly as she sat at the kitchen table.

Ed opened a bottle of water and sat across from her. "What do you want to talk about?" Sophie pushed a manila envelope across the table and said, "I've had these in my dresser for almost 3 weeks now. After this morning, I realized it was time to take them out." Ed reached for the envelope and pulled the papers out. "You want a divorce?" He asked as he read the first page.

Sophie nodded. "I saw a lawyer nearly a month ago and he helped me draw these up. I only asked for the house and my car. I don't want your stuff, I don't want your money or anything else. I don't need any of it, frankly. I make enough on my own for Clark and me to live comfortably."

Ed continued to read through the papers. She wasn't lying. She didn't want anything. She let him keep his car, everything in his room in the basement, all his income. "What brought this on?" He asked as he continued to read. Sophie crossed her arms and said, "After we argued yesterday morning, I realized it was over. I don't want to sound cruel, but I don't love you anymore, Ed. And it's pretty obvious to me that you feel the same. I just want to get this out of the way so Clark isn't affected any more than he already has been."

"You waited to give these to me. Did you want to try to fix this?" Sophie nodded her head and said, "I did. Until I met someone else." Ed looked up. "You mean you gave me all that shit that morning and you've been screwing around, too?" Sophie looked away. "You had the balls to stand there and grill me and try to make me feel some semblance of guilt, which by the way, I didn't feel at all, for something you've been doing for, what, days? Weeks?"

Sophie rolled a pen across the table. "It doesn't matter, Ed. Just sign the damn papers." Ed snatched up the pen and said, "With pleasure. You know, I thought maybe, just maybe, I had made a mistake the other night. But now it's pretty clear to me that the only mistake I made was not asking for this first." He slammed down the pen and shoved the papers into the envelope. "I'll get my shit together and get out of here as fast as I can."

Greg was making dinner when he heard his cell phone ring. "Hello?" he said as he stirred the spaghetti sauce. "Hey, Greg, it's Ed." Greg set the spoon down and said, "Hey Ed. What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could ask you a favor." Greg sat down and said, "Sure, anything." He heard Ed sigh before he said, "I just signed the divorce papers for Sophie. Do you think I could stay at your place tonight?" Greg dragged his hand down his face and said, "Of course, come on over. Stay as long as you need to." Ed took a deep breath and said, "Thanks, Greg. I really appreciate it."

Twenty minutes later, Greg heard a knock on the front door. He pulled the door open and saw Ed standing with a duffle bag on his front steps. He looked over Ed's shoulder and saw his car was packed full of boxes. "Is that all your stuff?" Greg asked as he invited Ed in. Ed closed the door behind him and shook his head. "That's most of it. I've still got like 10 boxes at the house." Greg offered Ed a drink and said, "You pack fast." Ed opened the bottle and said, "Well, Sophie helped. She was home today and spent most of it packing up my stuff for me."

Greg sat across from Ed at the table and said, "So what happened?" Ed sighed and said, "I got home and she came downstairs and gave me this envelope of papers. She said she had had them for a few weeks and was just waiting for the right time to do it. Apparently when I didn't come home the other night, that was enough to push her over the edge. So I'm sitting there and I'm reading the papers and she tells me she doesn't love me anymore and she just wants to get this over with. She says she wanted to fix it until… you're going to love this… until she started cheating on me! She had the balls to give me hell and make my life miserable because of one night and she's been screwing around for weeks!"

Ed took a deep breath and sipped his drink. "After I heard that I just signed the damn papers and was like good riddance. Let's just end this fucking nightmare." Greg took a swig from his soda can and asked, "What did she get out of it?" Ed shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's just it, she didn't want a thing. She asked for the house and her car, that's it. She didn't want any of my stuff, she didn't want money. She just wanted out and she wanted it quick. I wish you could have been there, Greg, I really do."

Greg stood and went to check on dinner. From the kitchen he called back, "So what are your plans now?" Ed shook his head and said, "Not sure, really. I'll have to find an apartment, get myself settled." Greg returned with two bowls of pasta. He set one down in front of Ed and said, "Well, let me know what I can do to help. Are you sure you're okay?" Ed took a big bite and nodded fervently. "For the first time in a long time, I'm okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Greg said, "So does your mystery girl know you were married?" Ed shook his head, "No, I didn't tell her. It never really entered my mind honestly. But it doesn't matter now." Greg set his fork down and asked, "Are you going to tell her?" Ed nodded. "Yeah, I asked her for another chance and I'm going to be completely honest. If I want this to go anywhere I have to." Greg was about to speak, but he was interrupted by Ed's cell phone. Ed dug the phone from his pocket and took a quick look at the screen.

"Speak of the devil," he said as he stood up, "it's her." Greg picked up both plates and retreated to the kitchen to give Ed some privacy. Ed flipped open the phone and said, "Hey, I was hoping I would hear from you." Rosie giggled and replied, "Hi Eddie." Ed smiled and asked, "Did you get my gift?"

"I did. That's why I'm calling, actually. I wanted to thank you. It's absolutely beautiful." Ed smiled at the happiness in her voice. "And the card?" He asked, trying to feel out her response. "The card was beautiful too."

"So does that mean you want to see me again?" he asked hopefully. "Yes, it does. What did you have in mind?" Ed leaned back and put his arm behind his head. "Well, I hadn't actually planned this far ahead. To be honest, I'm still amazed you agreed to see me again." Rosie giggled. "I had a great time with you the other night, why wouldn't I see you again?" Ed shrugged his shoulders, "I just figured you'd be mad that we did…that."

Rosie laughed and said, "It's not your fault we slept together. I never said no, remember?" Ed replied, "This is true. So anyway, about our date. Can I buy you dinner?" Rosie said, "That sounds nice. When did you want to go?" Ed scratched his head and asked, "Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Sure, tomorrow night at 7?" She asked. "I'll pick you up at 7, then. Bye, sweetie." Rosie said goodnight and Ed flipped his phone closed. Greg stepped back into the room and asked, "So, tomorrow night?" Ed nodded and said, "Dinner tomorrow night. Now where do I take her?"

Greg sat down with a cup of coffee and said, "Dinner, dinner, dinner. Why not take her to that steak place on Elm? Barberian's I think it's called." Ed replied, "Oh yeah, I've been there before. Good idea. Do you have a phone book?" Greg pointed to a drawer by the telephone and said, "Check in there." Ed walked over to the table and started digging through the drawer. Greg stepped into the kitchen to refill his coffee mug when his phone rang.

"Hello?" he said as he filled his mug. "Hey, Greg, it's Rosie." Greg replaced the coffee pot and said, "Hey, Rosie. Did you get the flowers I sent?" Rosie replied, "Yes, I did. They were beautiful, Thank you." Greg smiled and said, "You're welcome. I was going to call you a little later, but Ed came over." Rosie asked, "Ed's there now? I hope everything's okay."

"Everything's fine. He was just having some trouble at home, but no worries now. Anyway, what are you up to tomorrow night?" Rosie hesitated and said, "Tomorrow? I have a dinner meeting with some people from CBC. How about Wednesday night?" Greg said, "Wednesday's good too. I was thinking you could come over here and I would cook for you."

"That sounds like fun. What do you want me to bring?" Greg shook his head and said, "Nothing but yourself at…I don't know…8ish?" Rosie said, "8 it is. I'll see you then." Greg hung up the phone and returned to Ed in the dining room.

"Find it?" He asked as he sat down. Ed nodded and said, "Yeah, we've got a 7:30 reservation tomorrow night. Who was on the phone?" Greg sipped his coffee and said, "My Wednesday night date." Ed smiled and asked, "The same girl from the other night?" Greg nodded.

"So this is date number two then?" Greg nodded again. "What are you guys doing?" Ed asked as he put his feet up on one of the chairs. "She's going to come over here and I'm going to cook for her." Ed dropped his feet to the floor and said, "I'll be out of here by then." Greg shook his head and said, "No worries. Stay as long as you need to. It's not like there's no room for you."

Ed shook his head and said, "Thank you, but I'll at least be out of here on Wednesday night. I don't want to intrude on anything." He gave Greg a nudge and a wink. Greg blushed and said, "Come on, man. It's date number 2. It's not like that yet." Ed shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Well I'd rather not be here if it is like that, so I'll find somewhere else to be."

Rosie set the telephone down and walked into her bedroom. She threw open the closet door and stepped inside. "Two dates in two nights. What do I wear?" She muttered to herself as she scanned the rack of clothing. Most of it was work clothing: pants, jackets, skirts. She had two cocktail dresses tucked away in the corner, one stylish and conservative, the other flirty and sexy. She turned to the opposite rack and saw her jeans and blouses, more casual than professional. She pulled out a pair of light jeans and a white shirt with a sash that tied around the hem. She picked up a pair of white sandals to go with them and laid the whole outfit on her bed. "I can wear this to Greg's place," she said before returning to the closet.

"I wish I knew where we were going," she said as she flipped through the hangers. Rosie thought of calling Ed back and asking, but then she wondered if he even knew where they were going. "I'm sure he'll let me know," she said as she pulled the flirty cocktail dress from the rack. She held it out in front of her and pulled the skirt wide. Letting go of the fabric, she reached down and picked up a pair of peep toe heels and took the outfit to the bed. She laid it out beside the Wednesday night outfit and studied them both side by side.

Rosie was about to walk over to her jewelry box when her doorbell rang. She jogged to the front door and took a quick peek through the peep hole. In the hallway Sam was waiting for her to open the door.

"Hi Sammy," she said as gave him a quick hug. "Hey kiddo," he said, "What are you up to?" Sam stepped into the apartment as Rosie said, "Nothing much, just piecing a couple of outfits together." Sam draped his coat over a chair and asked, "Outfits for what?"

Rosie hesitated. Did she really want Sammy knowing about her social life? Too late now. "I have a date this week." Sam crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "With who?" Rosie shook her head and said, "I don't want to say anything. I don't want to jinx it." Sam shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, just be careful. I don't want another Joey in the picture." Rosie started walking towards her bedroom and waved him to follow. "Don't worry. He's a nice guy."

Sam stood in the doorway and watched Rosie pick up her jewelry box and carry it over to the bed. "If he's such a nice guy, then why won't you tell me who he is?" Rosie flipped open the lid of the box and said, "Because I don't want you and your SRU buddies to have Kira look him up so you can go scare him." Sam scoffed and said, "I would never do that." She set the box on the bed and replied, "You did it with your JTF2 buddies when we were in Saskatchewan. Poor guy wet his pants when six of you kicked his door in." Sam only rolled his eyes.

"Can't decide which one?" Sam asked as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the two outfits she had laid out. Rosie placed a necklace and a pair of earrings on the black dress and said, "I don't know where we're going yet, so I want to be prepared." Sam picked up the necklace and looked at it closely.

He set the necklace back down and watched Rosie try to match jewelry with her other outfit. It had been a long time since he had seen her so excited about seeing a man. He was happy to see her smile again. But he knew he had to ask the question neither of them wanted to hear. "So you are back on your meds, then?"

Rosie huffed and looked to the ceiling. Sam held his hands up defensively and said, "I'm only asking because we both know you have a tendency to… lose your inhibitions… when you're off your meds, you know?" Rosie closed her eyes and remembered the last night she was off her meds, the night she spent with Ed. "I'm on my meds, Sammy." Sam nodded, satisfied by her response.

He remained quiet, sensing the resentment she felt towards him at the moment. "I didn't mean to bring you down, Rosie." Rosie scooped her jewelry off the bed and said, "It's kind of hard not to with a question like that." Sam dropped his shoulders and seemed to admit defeat. "Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best time to ask. But I just want to make sure you are safe." Rosie didn't say a word as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. As soon as Sam heard the faucet running, he scooped her pill bottle off the night table and popped the lid off. He poured the remaining pills into his hand and counted them out. In his head he did the math. _1 month prescription, she's been here 12 days, there should be 19 pills left. How come I count 23?_

When he heard the water stop, he closed the bottle and put it back on the table. Rosie walked back to the bed and picked up both outfits. She hung them in the closet and turned out the light. As she walked out the bedroom door towards the living room, she paused and looked at Sam. "I've only been on my meds for 8 days, that's why there are 23 pills," she said before continuing to the living room.

"Hey Sarge," Sam said as he walked into the briefing room and sat across from Greg. Greg looked up from his papers and said, "Hey, Sam, how's it going?" Sam rested his arms on the table and said, "Is there any way we can get Kira to trace all the incoming and outgoing calls on my sister's phone?" Greg set his pen down and gave Sam a worried look. "Is everything okay with Rosie? Is she in some kind of trouble?" Sam shook his head and dragged his hands through his hair. "She's got a date this week and she won't tell me who the guy is."

Greg shook his head and chuckled. "She's a big girl, Sam. She doesn't track down all your dates, does she?" Sam shook his head and sighed. Greg leaned forward against the table and said, "She'll be fine. Whoever this guy is, I'm sure he cares about Rosie very much, and would never do anything to hurt her." Sam still seemed reluctant to relax.

"I just wish she would tell me something about him. I don't want to know his life story, but his name would be nice," Sam said as he slumped in his chair. Greg walked around the table and patted Sam's shoulder. "She'll tell you when she's ready, Sam." Sam shrugged his shoulders and watched Greg walk out of the room.

Sam hung around the room a while longer, waiting for an alarm to sound. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jules walk into the room. "What are you doing in here by yourself?" She asked as she sat beside him. Sam sighed and said, "Rosie has a date this week and she won't tell me anything about him, not even his name."

Jules sat silently beside Sam and let her eyes wander around the room. Sam noticed her silence and said, "You know something, don't you?" Jules shook her head vigorously, but didn't say anything. Sam turned to face her and said, "Yes you do. When did you talk to Rosie?" Jules huffed and replied, "We met for coffee the other day. She needed some girl talk."

"So you know about her date then?" Jules nodded and said, "She read me the cards she got. I don't know which one she's seeing, but they both really care about her and want to be with her." Sam threw his hands up and said, "Whoa, hold on. Cards? As in, more than one?" Jules nodded and said, "Yeah, she's got two guys after her. One sent her flowers and the other sent her this beautiful bottle of perfume. But I'm not saying anymore. I've already told you way too much." Before Sam could ask another question, Jules was gone.

Sam got up from his chair and followed her out. He had given up on finding out who this guy was. _Maybe Sarge is right, she'll tell me when she's ready. _As Sam walked towards the shooting gallery, he passed Ed in the lobby. "Hey Ed," he said as he walked by, "You coming up to shoot?" Ed nodded and said, "Yeah, I'll be right there, I just have to make a quick call." Sam gave him a thumbs up and continued on his way.

Ed walked through the front door and out into the fresh air. He fished his cell phone from his pocket and scanned through his contacts until he found Rosie's number.

"Rosalie Braddock," she answered professionally.

"Hey sweetie, it's Ed."

"Hey Eddie, what's going on?" Ed reveled at the sound of her voice saying his name.

"Just thinking about our date later. We're still on, right?"

"Of course we are. I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

"I'm excited to see you again, too. I got us a reservation at Barberian's for 7:30. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely. That means I get to wear my little black dress."

"Now I'm really excited."

"So I'll see you tonight?"

"I'll pick you up at your place at 7."

"See you then."

"Bye sweetie."

Ed flipped his phone closed and quickly looked around to make sure no one was listening to him before heading back into the building. He followed a long hallway towards the shooting gallery, picking up his favorite rifle as he went.


	6. Collide

Hello one and all! I am so incredibly sorry that it has taken me this long to update this little story of mine, but I have been so busy between work, work, and internship that I have hardly had time to sleep, never mind write. Anyway, here is my latest chapter. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to let me know what you think!

* * *

Ed stood in front of the bathroom mirror and fidgeted with his tie once more. "Hey Greg!" Ed called out into the hallway. Greg came around the corner and stood in the doorway. "What's up?" Ed turned to face Greg and straightened himself up. "Tie or no tie?" Ed asked. Greg looked him over from head to toe and finally said, "No tie. Sport jacket though, right?" Ed flipped the light switch and said, "Of course," as he pulled on his black suit jacket.

He trotted down the stairs with Greg right behind him. Greg crossed his arms and watched Ed get himself ready to go. Ed slid his wallet into his back pocket and his cell phone into his breast pocket. "Okay, phone, wallet," Ed looked around and grabbed his key ring from the table, "keys... Okay, I think I'm ready." Greg uncrossed his arms and said, "Flowers?" Ed snapped his fingers and jogged into the kitchen. A minute later he returned carrying a bouquet of violets. "Now I'm ready," Ed said. Greg nodded and said, "Have a good time," as Ed walked towards his car.

He stood outside Rosie's door, the bouquet of flowers behind his back. He had been standing there for nearly 5 minutes, calming his nerves. He checked his watch again, as he had done compulsively for the last 3 minutes, and saw it was 6:59. Taking one last deep breath, Ed rang the doorbell.

Butterflies were swarming in his stomach as he waited for Rosie. _This is ridiculous, _he thought, _I can stare down the barrel of a loaded gun without flinching, but I can't pick a woman up for a date? _Before he could answer himself, the door opened. Rosie stood in the doorway with a smile playing on her lips. "Wow," was all Ed managed to say as he stood idle in the hallway. Rosie blushed and nibbled on her bottom lip. "Do you want to come in?" she asked, opening the door wider. Ed smiled and nodded. "Sure," he said as he stepped inside.

He stood in the dining room and watched Rosie put her shoes on. When she stood up, Ed pulled the flowers from behind his back. "I brought these for you," he said with a boyish grin on his face. Rosie took the bouquet and said, "There beautiful, Eddie, thank you," before setting them on the counter and picking up her clutch. "Shall we?" She asked. Ed nodded and opened the front door for her.

"This was a good idea, Eddie. I'm glad you called me," Rosie said with a smile as he refilled her wine glass. Ed set the bottle down and said, "I'm glad you agreed to give me another chance. I thought I was finished after the other night."

Rosie smiled and sipped her wine. "Please, that wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. It's in the past and now we can start with a clean slate, right?" Ed looked at his lap and twisted his hands. _Here it goes, _he thought.

"Rosie, we need to talk. I want to be completely honest with you, full disclosure." Rosie cocked her head and asked "What do we need to talk about?" Ed took a deep breath. "Well, really, I need to talk. It's only fair to you that you know the truth…about everything." Rosie remained silent and waited for him to continue.

"Before I start, can you promise me you'll listen to everything I have to say? Because I need you to hear the whole story before you react." She nodded and said, "You're making me nervous, Eddie."

Ed took a deep breath and said, "I'm not sure exactly how to start this conversation. Um, the other night when we were together…I was married." Rosie jumped to attention in her seat. Her back was ramrod straight as Ed continued. "My wife and I had been having issues for the past 18 months or so. Nothing was right between us. We hadn't…you know…in over a year. We were always fighting, I would come home from work and go to the garage and then I would sleep on the couch. I just shut down."

"When I met you, something in me came alive again. I can't even describe it. I woke up, turned off the autopilot and started living again. The night I spent with you was everything I had ever wanted to share with a woman. I realized that I never really had that intensity, that passion, with Sophie."

"Anyway, I came home the other day and she asked me to sign these divorce papers. I was happy to do it, honestly. There was nothing left for us with each other. Come to find out, she's been cheating on me for a while now. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you know the truth."

Rosie sat silently, processing everything he said, trying to find the right response. Ed sat across from her and waited. "You have to believe I didn't mean to deceive you, Rosie."

Rosie felt her stomach drop like a brick. She sat perfectly straight in her chair, her hands knotted in her lap, her eyes glued to her wine glass. For the first time in years, she was truly speechless.

"Please say something, Rosie," Ed said softly. Rosie's eyes jumped from her wine glass to his face. Calmly, she lifted her clutch bag from the edge of the table and stood from her chair. "I don't think I have anything to say to you right now, Ed." She reached into her purse and dropped some cash on the table and started towards the door.

It took Ed a minute to figure out what she was doing. He watched her weave through the tables with her head down, pulling her shawl around her shoulders as she went. "Wait, Rosie," he said as he dropped his credit card on the table and followed her out.

Ed pushed through the crowd at the door and jogged after her. "Rosie, wait," he called as he slowed to a walk behind her. "Leave me alone, Ed," she said as she glanced at him over her shoulder. Ed reached out and grabbed her hand to slow her down. When Rosie felt his touch, she turned on him and slapped him across the cheek.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" She shouted at him as she ripped her hand away. From behind him, Ed heard other restaurant patrons gasp in surprise as he closed his eyes and fought the sting on his face. "I deserve that," he said softly, his arms limp at his sides. Rosie faced him head on and said, "Damn right you do!" Ed rubbed his cheek where her palm had made contact. It was burning hot and he could already feel it swelling. _Man, she's got an arm on her. _

Ed stood with his arms by his side, completely submissive to the tirade that was coming his way. A cocktail of rage and pain was burning in Rosie's chest, urging her to hit him again, to denounce him to everyone on the busy street. Instead, regaining her composure, she turned from him and walked away.

Ed, unable to let her go like this, followed her again. "Rosie, please," he said as he trailed her, "Let's talk about this." Rosie stopped suddenly and turned on him again. "You want to talk?" She shouted, "Why? Everything seems pretty clear to me. You're married, you pursued me, you went to bed with me, did I forget anything?"

"I was married, I'm not anymore," Ed clarified. Rosie crossed her arms and asked, "How long have you been divorced, Ed?" Ed glanced at the gold watch on his left wrist. "About 27 hours."

Rosie hung her head to hide the tears she couldn't fight anymore. "The problem isn't that you were married or divorced or whatever. The problem is that you lied to me." Ed shoved his hands into his pockets and said, "I never said I wasn't married." Rosie looked up and replied, "But you never said you were, either." Ed had no response, he knew she was right.

"I care about you, Eddie, I really do," Rosie began, "And for a while I thought this could be a good thing, you and I. But now, after this…I'm not so sure anymore."

Ed reached out and rubbed Rosie's arms. He could see everything he ever wanted with her slipping away, and it was his own fault. "Rosie," he started, desperate to find the right words to change her mind. Giving up the search, he resorted to saying anything he could think of.

"Rosie, I care about you more than you'll ever know. Because you gave me back a part of myself I thought I had lost, and that is something I am grateful for. This thing between us, this could still be good. Hell, this could be great. And yes, I lied to you, and there is no excuse for that, but I did it because I was afraid I would lose you just as quick as I had found you. And it kills me to see you crying and to know that I caused it and I understand that you have to do what is best for you. But you need to understand that no matter what you decide now, it won't change how I feel about you. I will always smile when I think about you, and I will always try to make you smile, and I will always care about you."

Ed searched her eyes for any flicker of emotion. A tear escaped from one and Ed couldn't fight the urge to reach up and wipe it away. Rosie turned her face away from his touch and stepped back from him. "I'm sorry," she said as she stepped away again and looked to the sky in an attempt to fight more tears. Her voice waivered as she said, "Please don't call me, Eddie." Rosie turned her back on him and walked down the street towards the subway station, leaving Ed alone on the sidewalk.

Ed walked through the front door and slammed it behind him. Tossing his keys onto the table by the door, he walked into the kitchen in search of alcohol. Greg was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, reading a book Ed didn't recognize. "How'd it go?" Greg asked without looking up. Ed sighed and sat at the opposite chair with a beer in one hand and a bag of frozen peas in the other.

Greg watched as Ed cracked open the bottle and held the bag of peas against his cheek. "She hit you?" Ed nodded and removed the bag of peas to reveal his red, swollen cheek. "She has one hell of an arm. She didn't punch me, she slapped me."

Greg winced in empathy. "So she didn't take it well then, I take it?" he asked as Ed replaced the peas and took a long drink from the beer bottle. "Not at all. So I tell her the whole story about how I was married but I'm not anymore and how I feel about her and she walks out of the restaurant. I follow her outside and I catch up to her and ask her to stop so we can talk." Greg nodded and got up to refresh his coffee. "Okay, go on."

Ed sipped his beer and said, "So I take her hand to try to get her to slow down and she pulls away from me and shouts, not says, shouts 'don't fucking touch me' and slaps me across the face. In the middle of the street! So I'm standing there with my hands in my pockets so all these people watching me know I'm not going to hurt her because at this point there was this line of like 50 people behind me at the restaurant and they were all sitting there like 'should we call the cops?'."

Greg sat down and said, "I would have called the cops, personally," with a grin on his face. Ed laughed sarcastically and said, "Can I finish the story?" Greg nodded and Ed continued. "So she tells me that she cares about me and she wanted to see where this went, but she's not sure anymore. So I tell her everything. I tell her I'm always going to try to make her happy and get a second chance and I'm always going to care about her." Greg sipped his coffee and asked, "What did she say?" Ed finished his beer and said, "She said she was sorry and asked me not to call her."

Ed tossed the bag of melting peas onto the table and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Greg scooped up the bag of peas and tossed it into the waste basket by the wall. He turned back to Ed, who was staring at the ceiling with his hands in his lap. "Can I ask," Greg began, "And I'm not being an ass or anything, but, can I ask what you expected her to say? Honestly?"

Ed sighed and shook his head, his eyes still stuck on the ceiling. "I don't know," he said, "I guess I was hoping she'd okay. I mean, I knew she'd be upset at first, but I was hoping she would come around, you know? Maybe she'd forgive me."

Greg shook his head and finished his coffee. "No offense, Ed, but that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard." Ed tore his eyes away from the ceiling and watched Greg get up and put his empty mug in the sink. Greg crossed his arms over her chest and said, "What made you think she'd forgive you? You spent one night with this woman. You had one date with her and you expect her to forgive and forget as if you had years of history together. Why should she? If she is half as great as you say she is, she probably has guys lining up for the chance to take her out and romance her. Why should she give a second chance to a guy who started the relationship off with a lie, and a big one at that?"

Ed was silent. _He's right, I royally screwed this one up, _he thought to himself as he stared Greg in the face. Greg dropped his arms to his side and sighed. "I'm not saying this to be mean, Ed. I'm being honest with you because I think you need to hear it." Ed nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "You're right. I had my chance and I blew it." Greg sat back down at the table and said, "Maybe you'll get another chance with her. But if you care about her as much as you say you do, you'll understand that she has to make the decision that is best for her and you'll respect that."

Rosie pushed the door closed behind her and rested her forehead against the cool dark wood. She closed her eyes and replayed in her head every word that Ed had said to her. "What the hell?" She asked out loud as she stood up straight and turned towards the kitchen. She dropped her purse and shawl onto the countertop. She pulled open the refrigerator door and looked at the milk, then the orange juice, and finally the bottle of Coke. "Not gonna cut it," she said softly as she closed the door and reached into the cabinet above the fridge. She pulled out a half-empty bottle of Jameson's and a small glass.

After filling her glass, Rosie screwed the cap back onto the bottle and shuffled her feet across the hardwood floor towards the windows in her living room. Setting the glass down on the end table, she crossed her arms over her chest and rested her forehead against the glass. It was always moments like this when Rosie would argue with herself until she found the answer she was looking for.

"I should have known something was up," she said out loud as she stood up straight. She stepped back from the glass and started pacing the room. "But how could I have known?" She stopped and sipped from her glass. She set it down again and resumed her conversation with herself.

"So it's no one's fault, but what do I do now? I really like Eddie. Who knows what could have been between us?" She turned and walked the other way across the living room floor. "But then there's Greg. And I know Greg has been more than honest with me. And I know I enjoy spending time with him and I know he seems to like me too." Rosie stopped for another sip of her drink. "God, I sound like a high school girl."

Before she could begin pacing again, she heard her cell phone ring. She jogged back to the kitchen and dumped out her purse until she found her phone. She took a quick look at the screen and saw it was Ed calling her, just like she had asked him not to.

Rosie slid her thumb over the send button, part of her wanting to take his call. Bu then she stopped. "I told him not to call me," she said aloud as she dropped the phone onto the counter. Flipping off the light in the living room, Rosie sent Ed's call to voicemail and went to bed.

Greg was crossing the hall from the bathroom to his bedroom. From the corner of his eye he saw a light still on downstairs. Curious, he slowly padded down the staircase and poked his head around the corner. The light in the kitchen was still on. As he got closer, Greg saw Ed's reflection in the kitchen window. He was sitting at the kitchen table with the telephone at his ear. Greg leaned against the wall and waited. If Ed was calling this girl of his, like she had asked him not to, Greg was going to have to step in and talk some sense into his best friend.

Ed listened to the endless ring of Rosie's cell phone. It was obvious to him that she hadn't cooled off yet. After five rings, Rosie's voice mail picked up. "Stupid answering machine," Ed mumbled as he listened to Rosie's voice give tell him to leave a message. Without knowing Greg was standing in the hallway behind him, Ed waited for the beep and then began his message. "Hey, Rosie, it's me, Ed…"

Rosie sat at her desk editing a press release. Every few seconds, she would take a quick glance at her cell phone, slide her hand across the desk top towards the phone, and then eventually go back to work. She had yet to listen to the message Ed left her the night before. Part of her wanted to listen to what he had to say and call him back. But the other part knew she had to stick to her guns and leave it alone.

Deciding to take a break, Rosie stood from her chair and made her way down the hall towards the break room for a cup of tea. As she passed by her supervisor's office, she saw a small group, maybe five people, sitting in the hallway, waiting to go into the office. She quickly looked away, pretending to be indifferent to the group. All week she had been hearing about lay-offs within the front office, most of them in her department. Apparently management had found a strong group of young employees and had started weeding out the older ones who they felt were falling behind. When she was safely inside the break room, Rosie let out a little sigh of relief that her job was safe. Lucky for her she had been brought in with the young group.

The next time Rosie looked up from her press release, it was nearly 5:30. She glanced at her phone again, fighting the urge to dial her voice mail and listen to Ed explain himself. But once again she stayed strong as she dropped her phone into her bag and turned out the light. Waiting for the elevator, Rosie felt a vibration in the bottom of her purse. She dug around for a second before pulling the phone out and answering.

"Rosalie Braddock."

"Hey, Rosie, it's Greg."

"Oh, hey Greg. How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. I wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight."

"Absolutely. I've been looking forward to it all day."

"Good, glad to hear it. So I'll see you at my place at 7ish?"

"I can't wait. I'll see you then."

Rosie's car rolled to a stop at the curb. She checked the address in her GPS quickly and then leaned over and looked out the window. Rosie wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting Greg's house to look like, but somehow this house in the suburban area of Toronto seemed to fit him. It was a cute two-storey brick house with a porch and a small front yard, obviously a relic from his marriage.

As she walked up the front steps, Rosie noticed how all the windows on the first floor glowed brightly, the yard was raked clean of the early October leaves that were blowing through the city, and a small jack-o-lantern sat on the bottom step. As she climbed the steps towards the front door, Rosie saw two cars in the driveway. One she immediately recognized as Greg's car. When she took a closer look, Rosie felt her stomach drop. The other car in the driveway belonged to Eddie.

Rosie took a second to compose herself before ringing the doorbell. She heard footsteps behind the door and quickly smoothed over her outfit before it opened and Greg welcomed her in. "Hi Rosie, come on in," he said warmly as he held the door open for her. Once she was inside she gave him a kiss on the cheek and pulled him into a hug. She relished the warmth of his arms around her as she buried her face into his shoulder and took a deep breath.

Greg remembered the conversation he had with Ed the night before. _She must feel so confused right now,_ Greg thought to himself as he began to stroke Rosie's back, _Just let her do what she has to do. _When Rosie pulled away, Greg smiled down at her and asked, "Feel better?" Rosie cocked her head and asked, "What do you mean?" Greg let her go and said, "You just seemed like you needed a hug. Bad day?"

Greg took her coat and hung in on the coat rack by the door before leading her to the kitchen. Rosie nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess. I've just been a little stressed out for the last couple of days." She leaned back against the counter and sighed. "But enough about that," she said with a smile, "How have you been?"

"Can't complain, really. Things have been relatively slow at work, which is always a good thing," Greg said as he opened up the refrigerator, "Can I get you a drink? Glass of wine? Beer?" Rosie shook her head and said, "I'll have what you're having." Greg couldn't help but smile at how sweet she was as he poured her a fresh glass of ginger ale. "Thank you," Greg said as he handed the glass to her. Rosie smiled and nodded. She took a sip from her glass and asked, "What are we having? Can I help with anything?"

Greg shook his head and said, "We're having chicken marsala and all I want you to do is stand there and look beautiful." Rosie blushed as Greg smiled at her and said, "Perfect. Just like that." Rosie was about to respond when she heard footsteps on the floor above them. "Is someone else here?" She asked.

Greg looked up at the ceiling, following the footsteps, and then said, "Yeah, Ed's here. He's been staying here since he and his wife split up. Don't worry; he's leaving for the night." Rosie took a long gulp of her ginger ale and asked, "Why would I be worried?"

Before Greg could come clean and tell her that he knew what had happened between Ed and her, Ed had come down the stairs and was now standing in the doorway. His eyes found Rosie immediately. She was the last person Ed expected to see standing in the kitchen. "Hi, Rosie," Ed said softly. Rosie looked away from him and said, "Ed." The ice in her tone surprised both Greg and Ed.

"Look, can I talk to you for a second?" Ed asked as he stepped into the kitchen and began approaching her slowly. Rosie shook her head and said, "Now isn't really a good time. I'm here to see Greg." Ed looked to Greg and then back to Rosie. He didn't believe what he was hearing. He nodded in defeat and said, "Well, I guess I'll talk to you guys later then."

Just as soon as he had appeared, Ed was gone. Rosie turned her head and followed the sound of him leaving. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Why hadn't she just given him a chance to explain? _Because I'm here with Greg, that's why. _When she opened her eyes again, Greg was standing by the table with dinner in his hands. He set the plates down on the table and wiped his hands on a towel that was resting on the counter top. "Rosie, can we talk?"

Rosie closed her eyes and nodded. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the kitchen table and sat. Greg sat across from her and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. They sat that way in silence for what felt like hours before Rosie finally broke.

"Look, Greg, I have to tell you…" Greg held up his hands and cut her off. "I know, Rosie." Greg looked into Rosie's eyes and gave a little half smile.

Rosie felt fear and anger rise into her throat. How much did he know? How did he know? Before her brain could process anything, her mouth began damage control. "Greg, I'm sorry, I should have told you. I don't know what happened, it just kind of snow balled and we wound up…"

"Relax, Rosie," Greg said softly. Rosie shut her mouth and dropped her hands into her lap. She stared at them as she knotted them together, awaiting the rejection she knew had to be coming to her. But then Greg covered her hands with his own and set her mind at ease.

"Rosie, Ed kind of told me about what happened between you two. He told me about this amazing girl he spent the night with and how much he cared about her even though he had just met her. He told me how beautiful she was, how smart and funny and sweet she was. He told me that he was going to tell her everything about his marriage and divorce. And then he told me how he blew it by lying to her that night. That's when I found out it was you. I overheard him leaving you a message on your phone. Anyway, I just want you to know that I know what happened and I am completely okay with it. I understand that shit happens. And if you're okay with everything, I still want to see you."

Rosie didn't know what to say. She had been so worried about what Greg would think of her and the fling she had with Ed. It never occurred to her that he would be okay with it, that he would still have her. She leaned forward and kissed Greg softly on the lips. In her head she pictured the night they danced, the first time they kissed, their first date. And then, from nowhere, she pictured Ed.


	7. Hanging By A Moment

Once again I am terribly sorry for the delay in updating. I hope you all are still enjoying the story. Thank You to those who have reviewed- Keep them coming! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I promise I will get the next one up as soon as I can!

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Rosie woke up with a smile on her face for the first time in days. After her talk with Greg the night before, she felt an incredible wave of satisfaction settle over her. She had faced the fire and come out unscathed. And now that Greg knew everything about her little…whatever you want to call it…with Ed, she and Greg were free to pursue whatever it was they were after.

She was just about to fall back to sleep when she heard the telephone ringing in the kitchen. Throwing back the covers, Rosie jumped out of bed and stepped into her slippers. She pulled her robe over her shoulders as she shuffled down the hallway, scooping the receiver up on the fourth and final ring.

"Hello?" she answered as she filled a glass with orange juice and took a quick sip. "Hey, it's Ed. Did I wake you?" Rosie set her glass down and said, "No, I was up. What do you want, Ed?" She heard him huff before he said, "I know you told me not to call you, but I just want to talk to you."

"What do we need to talk about?" She asked as she opened the front door to retrieve her newspaper. "Please, Rosie? Will you just meet me for coffee this morning?" Rosie dropped the paper on the counter and crossed her free arm over her chest. _How can I say no? I guess one cup of coffee is okay. _"Okay, Ed. When do you want to meet?"

"There's a coffee shop around the corner from the SRU, is that okay?"

Ed was waiting at a table in the corner nursing a cup of coffee. His eyes were constantly moving from the door to the enormous plate glass window that looked out to the street and then back again. _Maybe she won't even show_, he thought to himself as he swirled his mug, creating a miniature whirlpool inside. When he looked up he saw her standing in the doorway scanning the crowded coffee shop.

Afraid she would leave if she didn't spot him soon, Ed stood from his seat and gave a little wave. "Rosie," he said above the idle chatter that surrounded him. Hearing her name, Rosie turned her head towards the corner and let a smile briefly flicker across her face. It was like some slow motion clip from a movie. Her cheeks were pink from the cool autumn breeze that was blowing outside. A few strands of hair were caught in the corner of her lips after being blown about from her walk. Ed knew in that moment why he was falling for her.

Rosie draped her jacket over the back of the chair and set her purse on the edge of the table. They stood in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, neither sure how to greet the other. Rosie moved first, wrapping her arms around Ed's neck and kissing his cheek. Ed was paralyzed by surprise. Never had he expected that sort of greeting. When he regained control of his body, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek, his lips lingering as he inhaled the scent of her perfume. To his surprise, it was the perfume he had given her.

Surprised by her own actions, Rosie pulled away from him and sat down. They were silent until the waitress refilled Ed's mug and brought Rosie a mug of cocoa.

"Thanks for meeting me," Ed said lamely. Rosie nodded and blew over the top of her mug to cool it down. Ed decided to try again. "Rosie, I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from," he paused and studied her for any reaction, but found none. "What is it you want to say, Ed?" Rosie asked as she wrapped her hands around her mug.

Ed took a deep breath and began the speech he had been rehearsing in his head all day. "I know you and I haven't known each other long, so I can only imagine how crazy I sound to you right now. All I want is for you to be happy, Rosie, and I had hoped that that would mean you and I would get together. But more and more I'm seeing that you being happy probably won't include me. And after what I did, it shouldn't, to be honest. I hurt you and I lied to you and that makes me a real schmuck, I mean grade-A asshole."

Ed paused for a moment as he saw a smile creep over Rosie's face and a little chuckle rise from her throat. "I guess I want to tell you that I understand you have to do what's best for you. I just hope that one day you and I get a second chance, because I think we are both missing out on something good here."

Rosie swallowed hard and looked Ed in the eyes. The look on his face was so sincere, his words so heartfelt, that Rosie couldn't help but be honest with him as well. "I don't want to be mad at you, Eddie, I really don't." Ed took her hand and said, "Then let's give this another chance, you and me." Rosie shook her head and pulled her hand away. "I can't do that, Eddie. I want to be friends again, I want to be able to hang out and see you and laugh with you. But I can't give you any more than that, not right now at least."

Ed nodded his head and stared into his coffee. "Not right now," he said softly, "So you're seeing someone else then?" Rosie nodded and replied, "Yeah, I am." Ed looked into Rosie's eyes and asked, "And he makes you happy?" Rosie gave a meek smile and said, "Yes, he does. Or he has so far at least. We've only been on three dates. Well, two, technically, but he had dinner at my place one night and I kind of think of that one as a date, so…" Rosie looked up from her cocoa and saw Ed trying to feign interest while hiding rejection. "So you don't want to hear any of this, do you?" Ed shook his head and gave a little smile, "Not really. But you're blushing, and if it makes you that happy then I'll listen all day if you want."

Rosie sipped her lukewarm cocoa and set the mug down gently. She looked at Ed, who only looked back at her, his smile reaching his eyes. "So we're friends again?" He asked. She took his hand and replied, "Yeah, we're friends again, Eddie." Ed gave her hand a squeeze and said, "Good, because I like hearing you call me 'Eddie'." Rosie chuckled and pulled her hand away.

Rosie asked as she pushed away her empty mug and glanced around the crowded coffee shop. "So what was up the other night?" Rosie turned back to Ed at the sound of his voice. "Huh?" Rosie asked, completely confused. Ed pushed aside his mug as well and said, "The other night, at Greg's house. What was up there?" Rosie started knotting her hands together. She was sure he knew about her and Greg. How could he not? It was all spelled out in front of him. But now he was asking her to actually acknowledge it.

"Eddie," she started, trying to make the words come out as quick as possible. Realization suddenly dawned on Ed. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "Greg is the new guy you're seeing?" Ed asked, completely astonished. Rosie could only nod.

Ed leaned forward, still in disbelief. "Really? I mean, nothing against Greg, he's my best friend and I love him, but…Really?" Rosie crossed her arms over her chest and sat back. "Why is it that unbelievable?" Ed shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know, I just kind of thought I was more your type than he is. But hell, what do I know." Rosie shook her head and said, "Well I'm glad to hear you approve."

They both stood from their chairs as Ed left some money on the table. He helped her with her coat and followed her to the door. They stood in the cool air for a moment before they started walking towards the SRU. Ed wrapped his arm around Rosie's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Is this okay?" He asked, not wanting to ruin the peace they had just reached. Rosie briefly rested her head against his shoulder and then nodded, "Yeah, this is good."

Ed smiled as the SRU came into view. When they reached the parking lot, Ed let go of Rosie and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We have to do this again," Rosie said as they continued walking. Ed nodded and asked, "Will Greg be okay with that?" Rosie stopped and turned to face him. "Why does that matter?" Ed shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

Rosie rolled her eyes and said, "We're just friends, Eddie. If there's nothing to hide then there's nothing to get the wrong idea about." Before Ed could say another word, he heard a voice behind him say, "Hey, Ed, Rosie."

Rosie glanced around Ed and saw Greg walking towards them from the building. He reached them and gave Ed a pat on the back. He then wrapped his arms around Rosie and kissed her somewhere between her lips and her cheek. Rosie returned the hug and took a quick glance at Ed before returning the kiss as well. Ed looked away in an attempt at avoiding the display of affection before him.

"What are you doing here, sweetheart?" Greg asked as he held Rosie close, the way Ed had just minutes ago. "Ed and I met for coffee this morning to smooth things over," Rosie said with a smile as she looked into Greg's eyes. Ed nodded and said, "I hope that's okay, Greg." Greg shrugged and said, "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

Rosie stood awkwardly beside Greg, his arm still around her shoulders, while he and Ed chatted. "Oh, I forgot to tell you," Ed began with a gesture to Greg, "I'm going to be late tonight. I have an appointment with a real estate agent. I'm trying to find my own place." Greg smiled and said, "That's great, man. I'm glad to see you getting back on your feet. Want me to save dinner for you?" Rosie giggled at their conversation. They sounded like a married couple checking in so the other didn't worry.

Ed looked at his watch and said, "Oh, geez. I better get inside and get ready for work out." Rosie stepped out of Greg's embrace so she could give Ed a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for the cocoa," she said as she rubbed his back. Ed kissed her cheek and said, "Any time, sweetie. We'll have to do it again soon." Ed stood straight again and watched Rosie step back to Greg. "I'll see you inside, buddy?" Ed asked as he started towards the door. Greg nodded and replied, "Yeah, I'll be in in a minute," before turning his back on Ed.

Rosie smiled and nibbled her lower lip as Greg rubbed her arms. "Coffee, huh?" he asked before taking her hands. She nodded and said, "Yeah…Well, I had hot cocoa, but he had coffee. Is that okay?" Greg nodded and said, "I guess it is. As long as it stays friendly." Rosie gave Greg a playful shove and replied, "We decided we're just friends, Greg. Nothing more." Greg nodded again. "I'm glad you two are friends again, I am, but realize that you two are just friends because _you_ want it that way, not because he does."

Not wanting to get into this discussion, Rosie decided it was time to change the subject. "What time do you get off shift tonight?" Greg smiled and replied, "6. What did you have in mind?" Rosie nibbled her lower lip again and said, "Well, I was thinking you could come over to my place and…"

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?" From behind Greg Rosie heard Sam approaching. Rosie dropped Greg's hands and brushed her hair from her eyes. "Hey, Sammy," Rosie said as he gave her a quick hug. "What are you up to?" Sam asked, taking a quick glance at Greg before turning back to Rosie. "Nothing. I had coffee with Ed this morning and now I'm going to head into work."

Sam looked over his shoulder at Greg again. Maybe he was being paranoid, but something didn't feel right to him. Greg picked up on the tension that seemed to be building as well. "Hey, Rosie," Greg interrupted, "It was nice to see you again. I'm going to head on in." Rosie felt a sly smirk creep across her lips. "Nice to see you too, Greg." When Sam looked away, Greg gave Rosie a quick wink before making his way towards the front door of the SRU.

Rosie felt herself smile and blush as Greg winked at her and walked away. "You still with me, Rosie?" Sam asked, giving her shoulder a small nudge. Rosie turned her attention back to Sam with a sheepish half-grin on her face. "Sorry, Sammy. What was that?" Sam shook his head and sighed. "I asked if you wanted to have breakfast on Saturday morning. I'm not on shift until 2." Rosie nodded and checked her watch. "Sure, Sammy, that sounds good. Look, I have to get to work before I'm late. I'll talk to you later?" Sam gestured towards her car and said, "Yeah, get out of here. I'll see you later."

The sun was beginning to sink beneath the Toronto skyline when Ed and Greg walked through the door and into the parking lot of the SRU. It had been a long and relatively uneventful shift that day, which gave Greg lots of time to think about his date with Rosie that night. Ed tossed his duffle bag into the backseat of Greg's car and climbed into the front passenger seat as Greg did the same and slid into the driver's seat.

The ride through the city was very quiet, almost too quiet for Ed. The radio sang quietly in the background as they came to a stop at a traffic light, prompting Ed to say something. "So," he began, "Any plans for the evening?" Greg cleared his throat and turned a corner as he said, "No, no, I think I might just stay in tonight." Ed shook his head and sighed. "You can stop lying, Greg."

"What? I'm not lying," Greg said unconvincingly. "Really, Greg. You don't have to fake it. Rosie told me you two were dating." Greg looked at Ed quickly and then back to the road. "We had coffee this morning," Ed said, "and we talked about the relationship she and I had and how I wanted more, but she said she couldn't give me more because she was already with someone else." Greg felt his lips turn into a smile. She had turned down Ed Lane, Mr. Charming himself, for him.

An hour later, Ed had just stepped out of the shower and was on his way across the hall to his bedroom when he heard Greg coming up the stairs. "What's up, man?" Ed called as he pulled a clean shirt over his head. Greg appeared in the doorway and said, "I'm heading out for the night, I'll be home later. Good luck with the realtor." Ed only smiled and said, "Yeah, thanks. Oh, say hi to Rosie for me." Greg chuckled and shook his head. "Good night, Ed," was all he said before heading down the stairs and out the front door.

Rosie and Greg had just finished dinner and Rosie was beginning to clear the table. Greg stood and was about to pick up a dirty dish when Rosie came back from the kitchen and took the dish from his hands. "I don't think so," she said with a smile as she picked up another dish, "Just relax, I got it." Greg tried to take the dish back, but Rosie pulled it to the opposite side of her body and said backed into the kitchen. Unable to leave her alone, he picked up his glass and followed behind her.

Greg sipped from his glass and then set it down on the counter as Rosie turned on the faucet and filled the sink. "So the leafs look good so far this season," Greg said. Rosie dropped the sponge and said, "Ooh, that reminds me!" Greg chuckled as she scurried off down the hall like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. When she came back to the kitchen, she had a white envelope in her hands.

"I have something for you," she said as she handed him the envelope and clasped her hands in front of her chest. Greg looked at the envelope and asked, "What is this?" He slowly opened the envelope as she watched, a big smile still on her face. When Greg reached into the envelope, he pulled out a pair of luxury box tickets for the Maple Leafs game that Friday night.

"Rosie, this is incredible!" He said as he pulled her close and gave her a long kiss. When they separated she said, "They're my corporate seats. Usually that's where I watch the game, but I'm covering for one of the others in the press pit, so I figured you could put them to good use. Do you like them?" Greg eye's bugged out. "Are you kidding? This is amazing, I love them!" Rosie took the tickets from Greg's hand slid them into the breast pocket of his coat. "I'm happy you do," she said as she patted the pocket and gave Greg a quick peck.

Rosie returned to the sink with a smile on her face. Behind her, Greg crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched her pass the clean dishes from the sink to the drying rack. "You're adorable, you know that?" She looked at him over her shoulder and sighed. "Oh, I know…but I never get tired of hearing it," she said flirtatiously.

Greg couldn't resist touching her any longer. He crossed the kitchen slowly, not wanting to startle her. He whispered her name softly into her ear and kissed her neck as he slid his hands along the curve between her waist and her hips. Rosie leaned back against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Can that stuff wait?" He asked between kisses. Rosie turned to face him and kissed his lips. "What stuff?" she asked with a coy grin on her face. Greg smiled as well and kissed her again before she took him by the hand and led him down the hall towards her bedroom.

Greg woke up the next morning with Rosie's head on his chest and his arm around her. He buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath, surrounding himself with her scent. He kissed the top of her head softly and stroked her arm, careful not to wake her. When he saw her eyes flutter, he kissed her head again and said, "Good Morning." She buried her face in his shoulder and let a small squeak escape her as she stifled a yawn.

Rosie rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "Good morning to you too," she said with a smile. She leaned in and shared a long kiss with him before she sat up and stretched her arms high above her head. "Are you hungry?" She asked as she climbed out of bed and pulled her robe around her shoulders. Greg got up as well and started pulling his clothes on as Rosie walked around the end of the bed and headed for the door. Before she could reach the hallway, Greg stopped her and pulled her back to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and said, "Why don't we skip breakfast?" She kissed him passionately and then pulled away. His lips followed after her, wanting more, until she placed a finger over them and said, "Save that thought until after the game tonight, mister." Rosie wiggled out of his arms and made her way to the kitchen with Greg behind her.

Ed woke up the next morning to the sound of his radio playing Bruce Springsteen. He lazed in bed for a few minutes, enjoying the silence of the early morning, before sitting up and dangling his legs over the edge of the mattress. Stretching his arms high above his head, Ed stood up and fished around the floor for his sweatpants and t-shirt before stepping into the hallway and heading down the stairs.

When he reached the foot of the stairs, Ed noticed something was off. He poked his head around the corner into the kitchen and saw that the light was off and there was no coffee in the pot. He backed up into the foyer and went over to the front door and peeked through the sidelight. Outside he saw parents waving goodbye to their kids as they got on the school bus.

But it was what he didn't see that stuck out. Greg's car, usually parked beside Ed's, was gone. Ed smiled to himself. "Either he left early this morning," Ed said as he returned to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, "Or he never made it home last night."

Ed sat down with the newspaper and waited for his coffee to brew. He glanced quickly through the front page before setting it aside for the sports page. He immediately found the inside section about the Maple Leafs and searched the features for Rosie's name. When he found a release about the newest additions to the team roster she had authored, he read and reread it until he felt he could recite it word for word.

As he was pouring a cup of coffee, Ed heard the front door creak open slowly and then close. _He thinks he's going to sneak in, _Ed thought as he took a sip and sat back down at the table. He waited in the kitchen in silence until he heard Greg begin to climb the stairs. "So how's Rosie?" Ed shouted from the kitchen.

Greg closed his eyes and shook his head. With his head bowed, he walked into the kitchen and sat down across from Ed. "Alright, you caught me," Greg said with his hands raised in defeat. Ed only smiled as he took another sip of his coffee and returned to studying Rosie's work in the paper. "I'd ask if you had fun," Ed began, "but I think I already know the answer to that one."

"What does that mean?" Greg asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee and returned to the table. Ed shook his head and said, "It means you left here at 7 last night and are just returning at 8 this morning. If you weren't having fun you would have been home by midnight, that's all." Greg nodded and picked up the pieces of the paper Ed had discarded. "Sorry," Greg said, "I thought you were referring to something else." Ed set the paper down and looked at Greg in disbelief. 'You really think I'd bring that up?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Greg looked up and stared at Ed.

"No, I don't think you would," Greg replied, "Because I think you know how much I want this to work between her and me. And I think you also know that…_that_…is already in the back of my mind as it is." Greg returned to his paper as Ed digested the near-fight that had just been avoided. "You're right," Ed started again, causing Greg to look up, "I'm sorry it had to happen this way, you and her. But I'm not sorry it happened between her and me." Greg smiled at his best friend and replied, "Fair enough," before finishing his coffee.

"Well, I'm going to shower and put on some clean clothes," Greg said as he put his dirty mug into the sink. When he got to the doorway, Greg turned around and asked, "Hey, what are you doing tonight?" Ed looked up and shrugged. "Nothing, why?" Greg strolled back towards the table and pulled the envelope from his breast pocket. He handed it to Ed and said, "Because Rosie gave me her corporate seats to the Leafs game tonight. Luxury box."

Rosie couldn't concentrate. _What else is new_, she thought to herself as she pushed through her work. When she finished with the project she was working on, Rosie leaned backwards and stretched. Taking a long gulp from her water bottle, she turned and looked out into the hall. A small parade of staffers, maybe two or three, were passing by, all with their shoulders slumped. When they had gone, Rosie stuck her head out into the hallway and caught the attention of Matt in the office across the hall. "What was that about?" She asked, gesturing to the group. He shook his head and replied, "More layoffs."

Shrugging her shoulders, Rosie returned to her desk. It was 4:30. She had been in the office since 8:45 and had no hope of leaving until the game was over. "Dinner in a box," she muttered to herself as she fished a nutrigrain bar from her desk drawer and peeled back the wrapper. Nibbling on her 'dinner', she ran through a few last minute tasks she had to finish before game time. She was shoving papers into her briefcase when she heard a small knock on her door. When she turned around she saw a Matt and April, two of her coworkers, standing in the doorway. "We're heading down now Rosie, if you want to walk with us," Matt said. Rosie threw her bag over her shoulder and tossed away the food wrapper. "Yeah, thanks guys."

As they crossed the concourse towards the office, Rosie asked, "Hey, do you guys know who's running the box tonight?" April nodded and said, "Yeah, I am. Jack was going to it, but he had to leave early for something. Why, what's up?" Rosie pushed open the office door and set her briefcase down. "I gave my seats in the box to a friend of mine, and I just want to make sure he gets in, that's all." April smiled and asked, "A friend? A _male _friend? He wouldn't be a boyfriend, would he?" Rosie only smiled and said, "Just take care of him for me please?" April nodded and said, "Sure thing," as Rosie made her way down to the press box.

A few hours later, Greg and Ed were wandering through the Air Canada Centre trying in vain to find the luxury boxes. Finally, Greg broke down and asked an usher for help. "Excuse me, can you tell me where these seats are?" Greg asked as he handed the man his ticket. The usher smiled and said, "This way, sir." Greg and Ed followed the man to a guarded elevator that took them to the top floor. When the doors opened, the usher pointed to a door on the right and said, "Right in there, gentlemen." They thanked him and stepped into the hallway.

Greg turned the doorknob and gave it a little push. Inside, he saw a room full of suits, mostly men, watching the game and chatting with each other. He was about to make his way inside when a small woman stepped in front of him and asked, "Can I help you, sir?" Greg handed her his ticket and said, "I hope so. Are we in the right place?" The woman took his ticket and read it quickly. When she gave it back, a small smirk was on her face. "Ah, so you're the boyfriend? Come on in. Help yourself to food and drinks."

Greg took back his ticket and thanked her. As he and Ed were walking towards the bar, Greg asked, "I'm the boyfriend?" Ed patted him on the back and said, "You're the boyfriend." Greg couldn't help but smile as he clinked glasses with Ed and said confidently, "I'm the boyfriend."


End file.
